When the chicken liver Salmonella outbreak investigation concluded, public health officials from 6 states reported 179 cases of Salmonella Heidelberg associated with the consumption of MealMart kosher broiled chicken livers. Victims of the outbreak fell ill with Salmonella infections between March and October, 2011. At least 25 Salmonella outbreak victims were hospitalized.
Cases were reported in New York (99), New Jersey (61), Pennsylvania (10), Maryland (6), Ohio (2), and Minnesota (1).
According to the CDC, customers who became ill with Salmonella infections after eating the chicken livers may have incorrectly thought the word "broiled" in the label meant the chicken livers were ready-to-eat; however, they were not fully cooked.
Kosher Broiled Chicken Livers Recalled for Salmonella Contamination
The kosher broiled chicken livers were sold in 10-pound boxes that contained two 5-pound bags of chicken livers or loose-packed broiled chicken livers. They are often repackaged and sold in smaller quantities or as chopped liver sold at delis. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service posted information about this recall on the USDA website.