Production halted at Hull's Cranswick factory after salmonella alert
Work has been halted at a Hull poultry factory after a salmonella warning prompted some of the country's biggest supermarkets to pull chicken products from their shelves.
Cranswick said a "routine internal inspection" identified the presence of salmonella in a range of cooked chicken products prepared at the company's facility on Geneva Way.
The affected products go into sandwiches and meals sold at retailers across the country.
Cranswick said it was working with the Food Standards Agency to resolve the issue.
In a statement the company said: "We are conducting a thorough investigation into the possible cause of the contamination and the site will remain closed until the investigations are complete.
"The safety and quality of every product produced by Cranswick is our number one priority and all necessary protocols will be followed and completed before we restart production."
Salmonella is a form of bacteria often found in raw or undercooked meat, raw eggs, milk, and other dairy products.
Symptoms of salmonellosis, which include vomiting and fever, typically resolve themselves within a few days, but they can be more severe and lead to hospitalisation, especially in the very young and those with weakened immune systems.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) website lists around 100 products involved in the recall, with retailers also including Amazon, Caffe Nero, Costa, Jamie Oliver deli by Shell, One Stop and Starbucks.
Sam Bacon, food, health and safety manager at Hull City Council said: "Production at Cranswick Country Foods has stopped and investigations are ongoing after several products containing chicken were found to be contaminated with salmonella.
"All products which may be affected have been recalled. These had largely been distributed to supermarkets, which have been made aware of the issue and asked to remove the products from sale.
"Notices have been displayed in stores which sold the affected products. These explain which products are at risk and should not be eaten.
"The environmental health team is working with the business to provide advice and support as necessary. For a full list of recalled products, visit the Food Standard Agency website and check the 'alerts' page."