Aspen Foods is recalling some brands of raw, stuffed and breaded chicken products.
A recall of Aspen Foods' frozen, raw chicken breast entrees has surpassed 2 million lbs.

WASHINGTON – Chicago-based Aspen Foods, a unit of Koch Food Group, expanded a recall of frozen, raw, stuffed and breaded chicken products on concerns of Salmonella contamination. This most recent recall impacts 561,000 lbs. of product, which brings the total amount of affected products to 2.54 million lbs.

The action comes after the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported two more individuals were infected by Salmonella enteritidis after eating frozen, raw chicken products made by Aspen Foods. The Minnesota Dept. of Health and the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the US Dept. of Agriculture have been conducting an ongoing food safety investigation into a Salmonella outbreak in Minnesota that began in May. To date, five people have been infected with two outbreak strains of Salmonella enteritidis linked to the Antioch Farms brand of frozen, raw, stuffed and breaded chicken entrees, the CDC reported.

Following the first recall on July 15, FSIS intensified sampling activities in an effort to determine that the source of the contamination was under control. “Results from FSIS sampling revealed positive results that matched the outbreak strain of Salmonella enteritidis to Aspen Foods products,” the agency said in a recall notice. Initially, Aspen Foods declined to recall the products, which prompted FSIS to issue a public health alert urging consumers to not eat the entrees.

Additionally, retailer Giant Food of Maryland LLC launched its own recall of Oven Cravers brand frozen, raw, stuffed and breaded chicken products manufactured by Aspen Foods. The company received no reports of illness, but decided to launch the recall “out of an abundance of caution.” On Oct. 1, the CDC reported two additional case-patients in the Minnesota Salmonella illness cluster.

“With this and additional information, Aspen Foods chose to recall additional products in an effort to prevent additional illness. The scope of this recall expansion now includes all products associated with contaminated source material.”

FSIS said the affected products were made between Aug. 25 and Sept. 17 with “best if used by” dates of Aug. 23, 2016, to Dec. 15, 2016. The affected products bear the establishment number “P-1358” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The chicken products were shipped to retail stores and food service locations nationwide, FSIS said.