An investigation has been launched by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Department of Inspections and Appeals (DIA) after individuals report becoming sick after consuming chicken salad from Fareway stores.
Fareway has voluntarily pulled the product and stopped the sale of their chicken salad after being contacted by the DIA. No chicken salad has been sold since Friday evening, Feb. 9, 2018.
The chicken salad is produced and packaged by a third-party company and is implicated in multiple salmonella illnesses across Iowa. The IDPH and DIA ask consumers to throw away the product and not return it to stores.
Consumer are advised to watch for symptoms of salmonella illness. Symptoms usually appear within 12 to 36 hours after bacteria ingestion but can appear as soon as six hours or as late as three days. Salmonella infection is a common bacterial disease that causes illness and rarely becomes severe.
Symptoms of salmonella infection generally last four to seven days and include diarrhea, headache, fever, nausea, abdominal pain, dehydration, vomiting, muscle pains or bloody stools.
Most people get better without treatment, but in some cases diarrhea associated with salmonella causes dehydration. It is important to remember to stay hydrated. If you fall ill, contact your health care provider immediately.
For more information, visit the Iowa Department of Public Health website.
Megan Schuchard is a public health intern in the Dallas County Public Health Department.
Dang, well that’s out for dinner. Sometimes I just dip chips or crackers into that wonderful stuff. Too bad. Maybe it’ll be back at the counter before too long. I’ve always considered it a good product.