15min already wrote that on Wednesday VMVT informed that salmonella-contaminated broiler chicken thigh meat in Greek marinade and marinated chicken drumsticks in spice marinade were found in “Rimi” stores. On Tuesday, it was reported that the contamination was also found in marinated chicken thighs raised without antibiotics with wild garlic marinade sold in the “Rimi” retail network.
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The “Rimi Lietuva” retail network, having received information about possible microbiological contamination of products, immediately removed them from sale, and unsafe products can still be returned.
However, this is not the only retail network where unsafe chicken has been found these days.
On Wednesday, VMVT reported that fresh chicken from Poland, received by the “Maxima” retail network and the company “Rivona,” which supplies products to “Norfa,” was found to contain Salmonella Newport bacteria.
“Maxima” media relations representative Titas Atraškevičius told 15min that the supplier “Animex foods” informed the network that pathogenic microorganisms possibly causing salmonellosis were found in the “Well done” brand chicken thigh meat (batch no. 6450717879), whose expiration date was May 18. The quantity of the received product is 1737 units.
“In managing unsafe products, we follow the VMVT director’s order. We always ensure that ‘Maxima’ customers are informed if they have purchased unsafe products in our retail network – informational posters are displayed in all stores. This case is no exception; posters will be displayed until June 10.
We remind that if a product not meeting our quality standards is purchased in ‘Maxima’ stores, customers are always refunded. The defective product must be brought to any ‘Maxima’ store along with the purchase receipt,” informed T. Atraškevičius.
It is also possible to contact the “Maxima” customer service department by toll-free phone +370 800 200 50 or by email klientai@maxima.lt. When contacting by email, photos of the product and purchase receipt must be sent – the paid amount will be refunded to the “Ačiū” card.
“It is important to emphasize that to avoid the possible risk of salmonellosis, products purchased in stores should always be thermally processed, and utensils and tools used at home should be thoroughly washed. In this case, if customers tend to freeze the purchased meat for later use, we encourage them to check their home freezers preventively,” informed the “Maxima” representative.
“Norfa” representative Darius Ryliški told 15min that on Wednesday “Norfa” also received information about the detection of Salmonella newport bacteria in the products of the manufacturer “Animex foods.”
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Since the expiration dates of all the mentioned products have already passed (the last batches expired on May 21 this year), customers may still have frozen stocks of this meat at home.
Persons who purchased unsafe batches of products are invited to return them by June 21, 2026, to the “Norfa” retail center where the goods were purchased.
Money is refunded upon presentation of the purchase receipt. If the receipt is lost, money is refunded by bringing the product and presenting an identity document (passport or ID card).
“The company sincerely regrets this incident caused by the supplier. At the same time, ‘Norfa’ reminds important preventive information: salmonella bacteria die at 75 degrees Celsius. Boiled, fried, or otherwise sufficiently thermally processed food does not pose a health risk to humans,” states the retail network’s comment.
The bacteria can cause serious illness
Salmonella Infantis is a strain of bacteria resistant to many drugs, most commonly found in poultry.
As VMVT representatives commented to 15min, salmonellosis is most often contracted by eating raw or undercooked meat, poultry, eggs, and egg products, as well as eating vegetables or fruits washed with contaminated water.
The incubation period ranges from a few hours to two days. Symptoms of illness may include diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and vomiting.
To protect yourself and your loved ones from this disease, it is important to follow the simplest rules:
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- Thorough hygiene: properly wash hands when preparing poultry dishes, as well as after handling eggs; after using tools for preparing fresh poultry, wash them properly (knives, cutting boards, etc.) before using them for other products; before eating or preparing fruits and vegetables, wash them thoroughly with clean water to remove possible bacteria. Always wash your hands before cooking and every time after handling raw meat, using the toilet, or contact with animals. Remind children to wash their hands before eating, especially if they have played with a pet.
- Adequate thermal processing of food: boil, fry, or otherwise thermally process meat, poultry, eggs, and fish. Do not consume raw or insufficiently thermally processed meat, poultry, raw eggs, unpasteurized or unboiled milk.
- Choose reliable sellers.
- Safe product storage: separate ready-to-eat products and fresh poultry in the refrigerator to avoid cross-contamination. Eggs are recommended to be stored in the refrigerator where the temperature is low to reduce the possibility of bacterial growth.
