Farm Rich Products Recalled due to E.coli Contamination

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – Rich Products Corp. is recalling approximately 196,222 pounds of frozen chicken quesadillas and other snacks due to possible E.coli contamination. The affected products were produced between Nov. 12 and Nov. 19, 2012, before being distributed nationwide.

Twenty-four cases of illness have been reported in 15 states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The following products are subject to recall:

• 7.2-ounce cartons of Farm Rich mini pizza slices with cheese, pepperoni and sauce in pizza dough, UPC code 041322376909 with a best by date of May 15 or May 16, 2014;
   
• 22-ounce cartons of Farm Rich mini pizza slices with cheese, pepperoni and sauce in pizza dough, UPC code 041322356437 with a best by date of May 15 or May 16, 2014;
   
• 18-ounce bags of Farm Rich mini quesadillas with cheese, grilled white meat chicken in a crispy crust, UPC code 041322356352 with a best by date of May 14, 2014; and
   
• 21-ounce bags of Farm Rich Philly cheese steaks with cheese, beef and onions in a crispy crust, UPC code 041322356345 with a best by date of May 13, 2014.

Additionally, the following products that fall under Food and Drug Administration jurisdiction, are also being recalled according to the FSIS, which issued a news release to alert the public that these products are considered potentially adulterated and should be properly discarded or destroyed:

• 22-ounce cartons of Farm Rich mozzarella bites in pizzeria style crust, UPC code 041322374431 with a best by date of May 19, 2014;
   
• 7-ounce cartons of Farm Rich mozzarella bites in a pizzeria style crust, UPC code 041322376916 with a best by date of May 19, 2014; and
   
• 22-ounce bags of Market Day Mozzarella Bites, UPC code 041322804358 with a best by date of May 12, 2014.

Each of the above-listed products contains the establishment number "EST. 27232" or "P-27232" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

"At Rich's, food safety and the safety of our consumers is of paramount importance. Since discovering that illnesses may be linked to our products, we have been working quickly and extensively with the Food Safety Inspection Service at USDA, as well as the Food and Drug Administration. This includes the voluntary recall of product that we announced on Thursday, March 28," Dwight Gram, vice president of corporate communications for Rich Products Corp., told WXYZ 7 Action News in a statement.

"We also are working as fast as possible to investigate and identify the possible source of contamination, including a possible link to common raw materials used in the manufacturing of these products," Gram continued. "It's important to note that each of our Farm Rich product packages contain cooking instructions on the back of the packaging that, if followed, will effectively destroy any E.coli bacteria."

He added that the company is in the process of notifying all of its distributors and retailers to direct them to remove and destroy the affected product.

The Kroger Co., which was affected by the recall, posted a full list of the recalled products and affected areas online at www.kroger.com/recall.

"All Kroger customers who purchased the recalled product using their Kroger Plus Card will receive a phone call and a message on the bottom of future receipts stating the recalled product was purchased," said Dale Hollandsworth, customer communications manager for The Kroger Co. of Michigan. "We have pulled the product from our store shelves, and customers who purchased the product can expect a full refund for the recalled product."