USDA Alert Issued On Potpies

ConAgra officials said they believed the company's pies were safe if cooked properly, but the Omaha-based company told consumers yesterday not to eat its chicken or turkey potpies until the government and company investigations were complete.

The Department of Agriculture also issued a health alert yesterday to warn consumers about the link between the company's product and the salmonella cases.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been tracking reports of the salmonella cases since last Wednesday. A CDC spokeswoman said the largest numbers of cases had been reported in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Missouri.

Salmonella sickens 40,000 people a year in the United States and kills about 600. Most of the deaths are among people with weaker immune systems, such as the elderly or very young. Salmonella poisoning can cause diarrhea, fever, dehydration, abdominal pain and vomiting. Most cases come from eating undercooked eggs and chicken.

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