Jenny Craig chicken products recalled for potential contamination

SK Food Group, a Groveport, Ohio and Reno, Nevada establishment, is recalling more than 174,000 pounds of chicken wrap products that contain vegetables that may be contaminated with salmonella and listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced on Friday, Oct. 19.

The frozen, fully cooked chicken wrap items were produced on various dates from Oct. 15, 2017 through Oct. 15, 2018. The following products are subject to recall (view label)

• 4.5-oz. plastic packages containing “Jenny Craig Chicken Wrap With BBQ Sauce,” with lot codes WO0096753S10, WO0097880S10, WO0098216S10, WO0098565S10, WO0098923S10, WO0100691S10, WO0100692S10, WO0101746S10, WO0101861S10, WO0102176S10, WO0102469S10, WO0102758S10, WO0103920S10, WO0104247S10, WO0104353S10, WO0104615S10, WO0104995S10, WO0106312, WO0106312S10, WO0106945S10, WO0107556S10, WO0108694S10, WO0108695S10, WO0096753S02, WO0097880S02, WO0098216S02, WO00982416S02, WO0098565S02, WO0098923S02, WO0100691S02, WO0100692S02 and WO0101746S02.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 45367” or “EST. 20552” stamped on the product centerfold. These items were shipped directly to consumers through catalog sales in California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas.

The problem was discovered on Oct. 14, 2018, when SK Food Group received notification that the vegetables used in the production of their chicken wrap products were being recalled by their vegetable supplier due to listeria monocytogenes and salmonella concerns.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.

Consumption of food contaminated with salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. The most common symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating the contaminated product. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days. Most people recover without treatment. In some persons, however, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Older adults, infants and persons with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop a severe illness. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact their health care provider.

Consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems and pregnant women and their newborns. Less commonly, people outside these risk groups are affected.

Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. An invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn. In addition, serious and sometimes fatal infections in older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. People in the higher-risk categories, who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food, should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food.

FSIS is concerned that some product may be frozen and in consumers’ freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution lists will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

For questions regarding the recall, contact Steve Sposari, SK Food Group CEO, at (206) 957-6225.

For questions about food safety, “Ask Karen” is the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. The online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/reportproblem.