Food giant ConAgra is catching a lot of flak for their delay in recalling frozen pot pies associated with a salmonella outbreak. The complain is that by delaying the voluntary recall, ConAgra may have made it more likely that more people will get sick. Here are excerpts from a recent Associated Press article:
ConAgra issued a health alert Tuesday afternoon and asked stores nationwide to stop selling Banquet and store-brand chicken and turkey pot pies, but the company didn’t recall the pies until Thursday evening. The company and federal officials warned customers not to eat the pot pies and to throw them away, and ConAgra is offering refunds.
The recall, which also includes beef pot pies to avoid confusion, affects all varieties sold under the store brands Albertson’s, Hill Country Fare, Food Lion, Great Value (sold at Wal-Mart stores), Kirkwood, Kroger, Meijer and Western Family.
Even though the pot pies made by ConAgra have been linked to at least 174 cases of salmonella in 32 states, the U.S. Department of Agriculture did not have the authority to require the company to recall the pot pies. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said at least 33 people have been hospitalized as part of the ongoing outbreak, but so far no deaths have been reported.
Consumers who want a refund for their pot pie should send the side panel of the package that contains the UPC code to the following address: ConAgra Foods, Dept. BQPP, P.O. Box 3768, Omaha, NE 68103-0768. Consumers with questions can call the company toll free at 866-484-8671
866-484-8671.
These brands are all subject to the recall. If you have them at home, don’t eat them.
- Banquet
- Albertson’s
- Food Lion
- Great Value
- Hill Country Fare
- Kirkwood
- Kroger
- Meijer
- Western Family
