Several patients told public health investigators they could not remember the brand name but described the packaging as “red and clear.” Other patients reported the brand as “Antioch Farms”. The Paulson family and another outbreak associated case patient had leftover product which was collected by health officials and tested for Salmonella at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) laboratory. Of the home samples collected, 7 of the 11 were confirmed positive for Salmonella. Salmonella serotype Enteriditis was confirmed in 6 of the 7 positive samples. MDH conducted PFGE on isolates cultured from food collected from patients’ homes. Isolates obtained from patients and Antioch Farms brand Chicken Kiev collected at their homes were a 2-enzyme PFGE pattern match.
Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) staff also collected samples of Antioch Farms brand A La Kiev raw stuffed chicken breast from grocery stores for testing at the MDA laboratory. In total 30 samples were collected and tested. Of these, 26 confirmed positive for Salmonella. Nine confirmed positive for Salmonella Enteriditis, and 17 confirmed positive for Salmonella serotype Schwarzengrund.
On October 23, 2014 MDA and MDH issued a joint press release alerting the public of the cases of salmonellosis and their link to Antioch Farms Chicken Kiev. This was followed by a recall announcement by Aspen Foods Division of Koch Meats, a Chicago based establishment. The company recalled 28,980 pounds of chicken products with sell dates of October 1, 2015 and October 7, 2015. These products were shipped to retail stores and distribution centers in Minnesota.