Media Release

For Immediate Release
Date: Friday, November 17, 2006

Consumers with questions may call: 1-800-807-8817

Birds Eye Foods Is Voluntarily Recalling Frozen Cooked Winter Squash Due To Potential Contamination

Birds Eye Foods is voluntarily recalling frozen Cooked Winter Squash packed in a 12-oz. carton, under certain store brands (listed below), and the Birds Eye brand, which have an eight digit code beginning with one of the following characters: "5CF," "5JE" or "6JE," because some of the products were tainted with ammonia. After receiving consumer complaints - fewer than a dozen- about the squash, Birds Eye Foods initiated its established investigative process, including the involvement of a third party laboratory. On Friday, November 17, that independent lab confirmed a problem with one store brand product. Therefore, as a precautionary measure, Birds Eye Foods is voluntarily recalling all the squash product codes mentioned while it works closely with the appropriate agencies to resolve the issue. No other Birds Eye Foods products are involved.

The presence of ammonia may cause headache, nausea, vomiting, and irritation of the throat. Consumers are advised not to consume the product but to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

The Birds Eye brand frozen Cooked Winter Squash codes in question as well as store brand labels are distributed nationally. In total, these brand and store brand products represent approximately three million packages sold.

The Cooked Winter Squash was produced by a third party, Chase Farms, located in Walkerville, Mich., which has ceased production and distribution for Birds Eye Foods while it continues to investigate the problem.

The brands and UPC codes included in the Cooked Squash recall are:

Birds Eye, UPC 014500005168;
Stop & Shop, UPC 688267009723;
Shaw, UPC 045674504829;
Price Chopper, UPC 041735303462;
Lafe, UPC 023545071755;
Shurfine, UPC 015400830621;
Hannaford, UPC 041268111459;
Flavorite, UPC 041130542541;
Market Basket, UPC 049705630402;
Wegmans, UPC 077890800874;
Giant, UPC 688267009723;
Tops, UPC 688267009723;
Safeway, UPC 021130090372;
IGA, UPC 041270497640;
Roundy's UPC 011150548304;
Remarkable, UPC 755566308618; and
Dominicks, UPC 038281906285.