Several more cases of Salmonella have been reported in an outbreak across Canada linked to a recalled frozen raw chicken product.

The Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Health Canada, and provincial and territorial health partners have been investigating and issued a public notice about the Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak on June 2.   

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency had issued a food recall warning on June 2 for a frozen raw breaded chicken product: No Name brand chicken burgers (1 kilogram) from Loblaw Companies Limited with a best before date of February 6, 2019 (with UPC code 0 60383 16636 6). The product was distributed nationally.

Several affected individuals in the outbreak had reported consuming the product.

As of June 18, there were nine additional cases of illness to increase the total number of infections to 68 individuals. Eight of those cases are in B.C., and the largest number is in Quebec, where there are 23 cases.

So far, 15 people have been hospitalized but no deaths have been reported.

Canadians are advised not to consume the product and to either dispose of it or return it to the store it was purchased from while restaurants are advised not to serve it. Those who do not have the original packaging and are uncertain if it is included in the food recall are advised to throw it out to be safe.

Immediately washing hands with soap and warm water after touching the recalled product is also advised.

Salmonella symptoms, which last about four to seven days, usually appear six to 72 hours after exposure to the bacteria and include fever, chills, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headaches, nausea, and vomiting.

People infected with Salmonella can be infectious from several days to weeks. More information about Salmonella is available at the Health Canada website.

Frozen raw breaded chicken products and raw poultry pieces must be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 74° C (165° F) for safety reasons.

Information on how to safely prepare frozen raw breaded chicken and poultry is available at the Health Canada website.