The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is issuing a public health alert due to concerns about illnesses reported in Iowa that may be caused by Salmonella in a chicken salad product.
The chicken salad was produced between Dec. 15, 2017 and Feb. 13, 2018. The “Fareway Chicken Salad” is sold in varying weights in plastic deli containers with a Fareway store deli label.
The product was shipped to all Fareway grocery stores in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota and sold directly to consumers who shopped at Fareway.
FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers' refrigerators or freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. The chicken salad should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
Consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial food borne 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 four to seven days.
Most people recover without treatment, but older adults, infants and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop a severe illness.