Federal health officials say ConAgra pot pies were responsible for 401 cases of salmonella poisoning last year.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) blamed confusing microwave cooking instructions for many of the illnesses.

According to an article published in this week’s issue of the CDC’s  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,   the ConAgra pot pies ultimately sickened 401 people in 41 states.  Of those, 32 percent were hospitalized. According to the CDC, roughly 77 percent of those sickened had eaten ConAgra pot pies that had been cooked in the microwave. 

Because microwaves can heat foods unevenly, the CDC said  manufacturers need to provide clearer labeling and cooking instructions on not-ready-to-eat foods.  Other frozen, not-ready-to-eat foods, such as pre-browned chicken nuggets and chicken breasts, have been implicated in similar food poisoning outbreaks, the CDC said.

In October 2007, ConAgra’s Banquet and store brand pot pies were linked to dozens of cases of Salmonella poisoning. At that time, ConAgra issued a health alert about the salmonella pot pie outbreak, warning consumers not to eat any of its 7-ounce store brand or Banquet Pot Pies with the codes “P-9” or “Est 1059” on the package. Despite the health alert, ConAgra did not recall the tainted pot pies. On October 11, ConAgra finally did issue a pot pie recall.

In December 2007, ConAgra admitted the cooking directions on its pot pies were confusing, and announced it would be revamping the instructions before the pot pies were returned to the market.   ConAgra also said it would be updating cooking instructions on hundreds of other frozen foods, including the company’s popular Healthy Choice and Kid Cuisine lines.