January 14, 2014

Tyson Foods is pulling out nearly 34,000 pounds of mechanically separated chicken products that may be contaminated with a strain of salmonella.

The chicken has been linked to illnesses in a Tennessee correctional facility, where seven people got sick and two were hospitalised.

The USDA said in a news release the product was not sold in retail stores. It was produced on October 11 and shipped nationwide for institutional use.

Food containing salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. The most common symptoms are diarrhoea, abdominal cramps and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating the contaminated product. The illness usually lasts four to seven days. Most people recover without treatment.