Salmonella poisoning sickened 32 people in 12 states in the past week. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a statement to alert consumers to the association between 32 cases of salmonella poisoning in Minnesota and 11 other states with consumption of products such as breaded or pre-browned chicken breasts, some of them stuffed with vegetables or served as “chicken Kiev” and “chicken cordon bleu.”

The problem, according to the USDA is that the victims apparently failed to follow the cooking instructions on the label and microwaved the chicken dishes even though the instructions did not provide for it. Because the products were often breaded or pre-browned, people assumed the chicken was fully cooked, although they were raw or undercooked. Microwaving didn’t heat the meals enough to kill the germs.

The Minnesota Health Department announced Friday that Milford Valley Farms Chicken Cordon Bleu and Chicken Kiev are suspected in 14 recent cases of salmonella poisoning in the state. The chicken cordon bleu products include code dates of C8121, C126, and C8133. The health department recommends avoiding the use of microwaves for that type of product. When heating frozen chicken, it is best to use an oven when possible.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said consumers should cook chicken products to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. “It is especially important to use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of these chicken products such that all points of measurement are at least 165° F,” the federal agency said in its statement.

The disease produced by the Salmonella bacteria is called salmonellosis and for most of the infected people is known to cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. These symptoms usually begin 12-72 hours after infection, and will typically last up to a week. The infected persons will in most cases recover without medical intervention. The condition can be particularly serious in those with weak immune systems such as infants, the elderly and persons whose immune system is compromised by other diseases. Salmonellosis is contracted when a person consumes food contaminated with the bacteria. Salmonellosis is one of the most common (intestinal) infections in the United States. In rare circumstances salmonellosis can be fatal or could cause severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis.

In most cases, the infection typically clears itself in a week’s time without medical intervention, but precautions still have to be taken. Consumers can reduce their risk from foodborne illness by following safe food-handling recommendations and avoiding the consumption of unpasteurized milk, raw or undercooked oysters, raw or undercooked eggs, raw or undercooked ground beef, and undercooked poultry. Keep raw meats, fish and poultry from other food that will not be cooked.

Since 1998, Minnesota has been struck by at least four other outbreaks linked to pre-browned chicken and problems with microwave instructions. Minnesota was one of 31 states affected by a salmonella outbreak last year – involving Banquet pot pies that caused 165 people to become ill.