Food In Canada

Salmonella outbreak linked to frozen raw breaded chicken products and frozen chicken

Food in Canada   

Food Safety Food In Canada Meat &Poultry CFIA chicken Health Canada recall salmonella


The Salmonella outbreak has been linked to frozen raw breaded chicken products, and a new food recall warning has been made with relation to illnesses reported in the outbreak investigation.

The Public Health Agency of Canada is collaborating with provincial and territorial public health partners, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Health Canada to investigate outbreaks of Salmonella infections across Canada linked to raw chicken, including frozen raw breaded chicken products.

On Sept. 13, 2018, Canada’s Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health issued a statement advising Canadians to follow proper food safety practices when handling, preparing or consuming frozen raw breaded chicken products such as chicken nuggets, chicken strips, chicken burgers, popcorn chicken and chicken fries.

Salmonella illnesses linked to frozen raw breaded chicken products continue to be reported to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

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CFIA has implemented new industry measures for controlling the risk of Salmonella in frozen raw breaded chicken products. These new measures were prompted by the continued link between frozen raw breaded chicken products and outbreaks of food-related illnesses. The measures took effect on April 1, 2019; however, it is possible that products produced prior to this date could still be in the marketplace or in people’s freezers for up to a year beyond April 1.

As of May 25, 2019, there have been 584 laboratory-confirmed cases of Salmonella illness investigated as part of the illness outbreaks across the country: British Columbia (44), Alberta (85), Saskatchewan (18), Manitoba (29), Ontario (215), Quebec (119), New Brunswick (31), Nova Scotia (19), Prince Edward Island (7), Newfoundland and Labrador (12), Northwest Territories (2), Yukon (1), and Nunavut (2). There have been 97 individuals hospitalized as part of these outbreaks.

Three individuals have died; however, Salmonella was not the cause of death for two of those individuals, and it was not determined whether Salmonella contributed to the cause of death for the third individual. Infections have occurred in Canadians of all ages and genders.

As of May 25, 2019, there is one active national Salmonella outbreak investigation linked to raw chicken including frozen raw breaded chicken products, coordinated by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

New – Salmonella Enteritidis

  • Currently, there are 11 cases of illness in seven provinces linked to this outbreak: British Columbia (2), Alberta (1), Ontario (2), Quebec (3), New Brunswick (1), Nova Scotia (1), and Prince Edward Island (1). Individuals became sick between September 2018 and April 2019. One individual has been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Frozen raw breaded chicken products have been identified as a source of this outbreak.


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