The ACT Health Directorate has issued a warning to consumers who have bought CORE Powerfoods frozen meals to check their product’s use-by dates in case they are involved in an outbreak of Salmonella gastroenteritis.
The frozen meals include 310g or 350g packages of Going Nuts, Deep South Chilli, Muay Thai Meatballs, Holy Meatballs, Naked Chicken, Seismic Chicken, Old School, and Smokey Mountain Meatballs, marked as ‘best before’ 26 August 2020 and 4 October, inclusive.
Acting Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerryn Coleman said there had been two cases of Salmonella gastroenteritis infection in the ACT that were believed to have developed after consuming CORE Powerfoods frozen meals.
Dr Coleman said serious food borne diseases like Salmonella easily spread from eating poorly cooked foods.
“It is important to ensure that high risk foods like raw or undercooked eggs, meat and poultry are properly cooked,” Dr Coleman said.
“Salmonella is spread when people eat food contaminated by the bacteria, and this can happen if Salmonella is present in inadequately cooked food,” she said.
“It is also important to remember that many frozen foods are not ready to eat and should always be cooked thoroughly following manufacturer instructions.”
Dr Coleman said the Directorate was working closely with its health counterparts in other states and territories to investigate the infections thought to be associated with the product, with the cause of the contamination also still under investigation.
