More than 700 pounds of Perdue chicken has been recalled in parts of the New York metropolitan area due to possible contamination caused by a processing error. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has labeled the situation a Class II recall, but as of yet there have been no reports of adverse health consequences following the poultry’s consumption.

The approximately 720 pounds of raw, fresh chicken products recalled are labeled “Cookin' Good Whole Young Chickens,” with giblets and necks. An employee working at the processing plant noticed a problem with one of the water valves used in the manufacturing process.

It seemed that a worker had accidentally used the wrong water valve, resulting in the chickens being treated at fluctuating temperatures. This has put the chickens at risk of contamination. The poultry products found in the warehouse were immediately destroyed. However, nine cases of chickens were processed before the error was caught. These cases were sent to a New York distributor, where they were then shipped for re-sale and foodservice in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Consumers have been advised that the chickens were originally processed at the Perdue Food LLC in Salisbury, Md. The products under recall are 80-pound cardboard boxes containing 28, 2.5-pound chickens. The individual packages will bear the establishment number “P-764.” The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service’s Class II classification categorizes the recalled chicken as “a health hazard situation where there is a remote probability of adverse health consequences from the use of the product.”

Although no adverse health consequences have yet been reported, consumers who are displaying any reactions they feel are the direct result of poultry consumption are advised to contact a health care provider. The FSIS have set up a virtual representative available 24 hours a day to address any consumer problems, called Ask Karen.

Chicken is considered the most dangerous meat due to its high likeness to cause severe illness. According to LiveScience, between 1998 and 2010 chicken products were linked to 6,996 cases of illness in the United States and 462 outbreaks of foodborne illness. Although poultry is linked to several harmful bacteria, the most common of these is Salmonella. Side effects of Salmonella include: fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Most people recover completely on their own, but in patients who are especially old, young, or already ill, the bacteria could result in death.