Manor Farm said it would continue to work closely with authorities following the recall of the chicken products.
the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Yesterday (Tuesday, May 12), FSAI confirmed the recall of various batches of chicken products produced by Manor Farm and Western Brand due to the possible presence of Salmonella.
As a result, the two companies are recalling some chicken products sold in major supermarkets in the country.
The FSAI has advised consumers to check their freezers for the batches involved, and said recall notices will be displayed at the point of sale.
Manor Farm
In a statement to AgrilandManor Farm said it had been notified by the FSAI “confirming the presence of Salmonella typhimurium in one implicated batch of fresh poultry products”.
The company said it is conducting a “precautionary recall of the affected product” in full cooperation with the FSAI, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and its retail partners.
“At Manor Farm, consumer safety is our number one priority.
“The affected product is past its expiration date. However, because the product carries instructions for home freezing, some consumers may still have it in their freezers.
The statement added: “Anyone who has the affected batch should not consume it and should follow the instructions stipulated in the recall notice.”
Food safety
Manor Farm said that based on currently available information, no other Manor Farm products or batches are affected.
“As part of our ongoing food safety controls, we maintain a rigorous Salmonella testing program across both our products and production processes.
“Routine verification and monitoring activities to date, including boot swab testing and full sampling of birds associated with this farm, have all given negative results.
“In addition, the seized samples from the batch involved also tested negative.
“Further verification measures have now been implemented as an additional precaution,” the company said.
“We understand that any recall related to food safety may cause concern, and we apologize for the inconvenience this issue has caused.
Manor Farm added: “We will continue to work closely with the relevant authorities and our retail customers to ensure consumers are protected.”
Manor Farm has been producing Irish chickens since 1775 and is one of Ireland’s oldest food companies.
The company, which has a processing plant and feed mill in Co. Cavan, has nearly 1,000 employees, along with nearly 200 contract farmers.
Salmonella
According to the FSAI, people infected with salmonella usually develop symptoms between 12 and 36 hours after infection, but this can range from 6 to 72 hours.
“The most common symptom is diarrhea, which can sometimes be bloody. Other symptoms may include fever, headache, and abdominal cramps. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days.
The authority said: “Diarrhea may sometimes be severe enough to be hospitalized. The elderly, infants, and those with weak immune systems are more vulnerable to severe illness.”
