Marie Callendars Recalls Frozen Chicken, Rice Meals

WASHINGTONConAgra Foods Packaged Foods LLC, a Council Bluffs, Iowa firm, is recalling Marie Callender's brand Cheesy Chicken and Rice frozen meals due to possible Salmonella contamination, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced.

The recall involves all 13-ounce packages of "Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken & Rice White Meat Chicken and Broccoli over Rice Topped with Rich Cheddar Sauce." Each package bears a label with establishment number "P-45" inside the USDA mark of inspection. The products were distributed to retail establishments nationwide.

The recall was initiated after the company was informed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of an investigation involving 29 people in 14 states who have been diagnosed with salmonellosis linked to Salmonella serotype Chester. Eight of the case-patients specifically reported eating this product in April and May 2010, prior to illness onset; the last reported illness was reported on May 22, 2010.

Click here to view the entire recall.