A strain of E. coli bacteria linked to frozen chicken quesadillas and other mini-meals produced by a New York-based company has left at least 24 people sick in 18 states.
The outbreak appears to be caused by a rare strain of the toxin that the Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Inspection Service says was in samples of frozen chicken quesadillas made by Rich Products of Buffalo and tested at the New York State Department of Health Wadsworth Laboratory.
Rich Products has recalled 196,222 pounds of frozen chicken quesadillas and other frozen mini-meals and snack items under the "Farm Rich" brand for possible contamination by E.coli 0121.
"Consumer safety is our number one priority, and we are voluntarily recalling these products effective immediately," the company posted on its website.
"Each of our product packages contain cooking instructions on the back of the packaging that, if followed, will effectively destroy any E.Coli bacteria," the company also said. "These preparation instructions have been validated following the Grocery Manufacturers Association industry protocol to ensure food safety."
Eight of the people who fell ill --- from Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia --- confirmed to investigators they had indeed eaten products from the firm, the USDA said in a release.
"These are frozen products that need to be cooked, but they should not have E. coli in them, because most of the ingredients should have been processed beforehand," Douglas Powell, a professor of food safety at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan., was quoted saying in a USA Today report.
The recalled products include:
7.2-oz. cartons of Farm Rich mini-pizza slices with cheese, pepperoni and sauce in pizza dough, UPC code 041322376909 with a best-by date of May 15 or May 16, 2014.
22-oz. cartons of Farm Rich mini-pizza slices with cheese, pepperoni and sauce in pizza dough, UPC code 041322356437 with a best-by date of May 15 or May 16, 2014.
18-oz. bags of Farm Rich mini-quesadillas with cheese, grilled white meat chicken in a crispy crust, UPC code 041322356352 with a best-by date of May 14, 2014.
21-oz. bags of Farm Rich philly cheese steaks with cheese, beef & onions in a crispy crust, UPC code 041322356345 with a best-by date of May 13, 2014.
Products that might be contaminated include:
22-oz. cartons of Farm Rich mozzarella bites in a pizzeria style crust, UPC code 041322374431 with a best-by date of May 19, 2014.
7-oz. cartons of Farm Rich mozzarella bites in a pizzeria style crust, UPC code 041322376916 with a best-by date of May 19, 2014.
22-oz. bags of Market Day Mozzarella Bites, UPC code 041322804358 with a best-by date of May 12, 2014.
Although the foods were produced Nov. 12-19, 2012, the Department of Agriculture is concerned some consumers could still have them in their freezers.
More information about the recall or affected items is available by visiting the company website, at www.farmrich.com, or by calling the Rich Products consumer line, (888) 220-5955, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.
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