The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has confirmed an extended recall of some batches of raw chicken products due to the possible presence of salmonella.
Further to a recall notice issued last month, poultry product supplier Western Brand is now undertaking a precautionary recall of further batches of products, the FSAI announced today (Friday, February 3).
Point of sale recall notices will be displayed in stores supplied with the implicated batches.
On January 24, the FSAI announced an initial recall for some expired batches of Western Brand raw chicken products, also due to the presence of salmonella.
People infected with salmonella typically develop symptoms between 12 and 36 hours after, but this can range between six and 72 hours.
The most common symptom is diarrhoea, which can sometimes be bloody. Other symptoms may include fever, headache and abdominal cramps.
The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and can occasionally be severe enough to require hospital admission.
The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.
Salmonella outbreak
On Monday this week (January 30), the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine confirmed that eight Irish broiler flocks tested positive for salmonella typhimurium.
All flocks which have been impacted have been restricted and are now under department controls.
The FSAI confirmed to Agriland that these affected flocks “will be culled and will not enter the food chain”.
“This on-farm incident has arisen following the food recall of Western Brand undertaken last week. To date, there are no human cases of illness linked to this investigation into the broiler flocks,” the FSAI said.
The department said that the affected flocks are located in a number of different locations around the country.
Department officials are currently working closely with the FSAI, and the National Reference Laboratory for Salmonella, in order to determine the cause of the outbreak.