Posted: April 21st, 2008 - 10:01pm by Doug Powell

Julie Schmit of USA Today reports that federal food-safety officials are considering whether labels on some frozen chicken products adequately inform consumers that the chicken is raw and provide sufficient cooking instructions.

Minnesota health officials said that stuffed chicken entrees — which look cooked because they're breaded and prebrowned so that the breading sticks — are blamed for five salmonella outbreaks since 1998 that sickened 71 people.

The latest outbreak, in Minnesota in March, occurred even though the products' labels changed more than a year ago to more explicitly state that the chicken is uncooked. "

David Goldman, assistant administrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said,

"We've done everything we think is appropriate, but if consumer behavior hasn't changed, we have to deal with that."

Carlota Medus, epidemiologist with the Minnesota Department of Health, said, "They look precooked, plus they are marketed as convenience foods," and that consumers may think the chicken is cooked and only reheat it, which doesn't kill bacteria.

Of the four consumers sickened in the recent outbreak, two thought the product was precooked. Three used a microwave, even though the label warns not to, Medus says. Conventional oven-cooking is advised because they cook more uniformly than microwaves.

The outbreak was linked to chicken cordon bleu and chicken breast stuffed with cheese from Serenade Foods. Serenade spokeswoman Janelle Deatsman said,

"We think it's important consumers follow label directions."

Do people read instructions, and are the instructions understood? Are the instructions in multiple languages? Does understanding translate into safe handling behavior?

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