Officials warn consumers about pot pies

Source | The Oregonian

Food safety - A warning about Banquet brand items, made by ConAgra, comes after an outbreak of salmonellosis

By Alex Pulaski

State health officials issued a consumer warning Tuesday about Banquet brand pot pies following a large, multi-state outbreak of salmonellosis, including two confirmed cases in Oregon.

Banquet brand pot pies are sold in the freezer section at grocery stores and other outlets nationally. The pot pies have code numbers beginning with “5009″ or a “P9″ code.

“If you have any of these products in your freezer, we recommend that you throw them out,” said Dr. William E. Keene, a senior communicable disease epidemiologist at the Oregon Public Health Division.

Anyone with symptoms of severe diarrhea or diarrhea with fever should tell their doctor if they have eaten pot pies within the last week, he said.

The manufacturer, ConAgra, has suspended production and sales of all pot pies produced at its Marshall, Mo., plant. The temporary hold, pending investigation, also includes private-label store brands produced there with the same “5009″ code number. Pies are not being recalled.

Earlier this year, ConAgra was subject to a massive recall of its Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter brands after a multi-state salmonella outbreak.

In the pot pie outbreak, at least 135 lab-confirmed cases with matching DNA profiles have been identified from 30 states. At least 20 individuals were hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported.

Although only two cases have been confirmed in Oregon, Keene estimates that for every confirmed case, 25 or more others become ill.

Keene said the Oregon cases were reported in May and June, but health officials were not able to make a connection to the pot pies until a recent Minnesota outbreak became known.

The source of contamination at the ConAgra plant is unknown.