401 Salmonella Illnesses Blamed On 2007 Pot Pie Problem

Federal investigators have linked 401 salmonella illnesses to the Banquet pot pies ConAgra Foods Inc. recalled last year. The Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a final report this week on the fall 2007 outbreak and recall.

The CDC says 401 cases of salmonella in 41 states have now been linked to the pot pies made by ConAgra. No deaths were reported but nearly one-third of everyone who became ill had to be hospitalized.

The CDC says investigators estimate that for every confirmed case of salmonella another 38 cases are not detected. So the actual number of people who became ill after eating Banquet pot pies may be much higher than 401.    

Meanwhile, The Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says last year's pot pie recall raises questions about the safety of microwaving frozen foods that contain raw ingredients. The CDC issued a final report on that ConAgra Foods recall this week.

The CDC says food companies and regulators should consider taking a close look at the way frozen foods with raw ingredients are made. Then they could determine how safe microwaving those products are. The agency says microwave makers should consider listing the output of a microwave prominently on the appliances.

The CDC investigators say confusion about the cooking instructions ConAgra used on the Banquet pot pies may have contributed to the outbreak. The front of the pot pie package declared they could be ready in 4 minutes, but the back of the package offered two different cooking times for different wattage microwaves.

To help reduce confusion, ConAgra changed the Banquet labels before reintroducing the pot pies.