Rich Productsis working around the clock with federal agencies to pinpoint contamination in a brand of its frozen snack products. WBFO'S Eileen Buckley says the company voluntarily recalled more than 196-pounds of frozen food under the Farm Rich name after an outbreak of E-coli.
The products include Farm Rich chicken quesadillas, mini pizza slices, Philly cheese steaks and mozzarella bites.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspectionreports the product appears to be linked to an outbreak of E. coli infections with at least 24-reported cases in 15-states.
"A sample of a Farm Rich frozen chicken mini quesadilla product from a New York case tested positive for the outbreak strain of E. coli O121. Eight cases in Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia report consuming Farm Rich products. FSIS is continuing to work with federal and state public health partners on this investigation, including the New York State Department of Health, New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets, Food and Drug Administration, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," according to the USDA>
"While only one illness has been directly linked to a Farm Rich product, we immediately ordered a voluntarily, nationwide recall and alerted retailers of our action," said Gram," said Dwight Gram, vice president of corporate communications, Rich Products in Buffalo.
Gram tells WBFO News they are working "around the clock" with the USDA and FDA to find out the exact cause of contamination.
"When we discovered that illnesses may be linked to one of our products, we implemented an immediately voluntary recall with all the products in question," said Gram. "We have been working quickly and extensively with the USDA and FDA in response to this issue. We are proceeding with an abundance of caution. Our top accountability, as an organization, is food safety. We don't have an answer yet, but we are putting the full resources against it until it is resolved."
The USDA says an investigation detected E. coli in an open package of Farm Rich frozen chicken quesadillas at the home of one ill person.
Rich Products says they known of at least one confirmed illness here in New York State related to the quesadillas.
The recalled Farm Rich products were produced between November 12th and 19th of 2012.
Consumers who purchased the products are urged
Farm Rich at 1-888-220-5995.
The following products are subject to FSIS recall:
• 7.2-oz. cartons of Farm Rich mini pizza slices with cheese pepperoni and sauce in pizza dough, UPC code 041322376909 with a best by date of May 15 or May 16, 2014.
• 22-oz. cartons of Farm Rich mini pizza slices with cheese pepperoni and sauce in pizza dough, UPC code 041322356437 with a best by date of May 15 or May 16, 2014.
• 18-oz. bags of Farm Rich mini quesadillas with cheese, grilled white meat chicken in a crispy crust, UPC code 041322356352 with a best by date of May 14, 2014.
• 21-oz. bags of Farm Rich philly cheese steaks with cheese, beef & onions in a crispy crust, UPC code 041322356345 with a best by date of May 13, 2014.
In addition, the following products, which fall under FDA jurisdiction, are also being recalled. FSIS is issuing this news release to make the public aware that these products are also considered potentially adulterated and should be properly discarded or destroyed:
• 22-oz. cartons of Farm Rich mozzarella bites in a pizzeria style crust, UPC code 041322374431 with a best by date of May 19, 2014.
• 7-oz. cartons of Farm Rich mozzarella bites in a pizzeria style crust, UPC code 041322376916 with a best by date of May 19, 2014.
• 22-oz. bags of Market Day Mozzarella Bites, UPC code 041322804358 with a best by date of May 12, 2014.
Each product package above contains the establishment number “EST. 27232” or “P-27232” inside the USDA mark of inspection.