Thomas Lyons 
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has issued a recall of specific batches of Tesco frozen southern fried chicken goujons due to the possible presence of salmonella. The recall affects products with batch codes 23122 and 23123, originating from Poland and with a best before date of May 31, 2023. Tesco stores will display recall notices at point of sale. The FSAI has warned consumers not to eat these batches, but has also stated that cooking the chicken thoroughly should remove the risk. It is also important to handle raw chicken hygienically when defrosting and preparing it.
Salmonella is a bacterial infection that can cause symptoms such as diarrhoea, fever, headache, and abdominal cramps. Symptoms typically develop between 12 and 36 hours after infection, but can range between six and 72 hours. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, but in some cases, diarrhoea can be severe enough to require hospital admission. The elderly, infants, and those with weakened immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.
This is not the first recall issued by the FSAI this year. Cadbury chocolate dessert products sold in some Lidl stores and pork chops sold in Dunnes Stores have also been recalled. In addition, the FSAI announced that it imposed three closure orders and one prohibition order on food businesses during the month of April due to breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020. The closures included Little Neros in Limerick, Meaghers Daybreak in Tipperary, and Vicos Grill in Meath.
It is important for consumers to be aware of these recalls and to follow the instructions provided by the FSAI. It is also important for food businesses to adhere to food safety legislation to ensure the health and safety of their customers.
