Did You Buy Frozen Pizzas At A Wyoming Walmart Recently?

It's quite common to read or hear about products being recalled due to issues with the ingredients used to make them or something that happened in the factory where they were made. Actually, Walmart has announced a recall on some of its frozen pizzas, particularly the Great Value Thin Crust Chicken Bacon Ranch and Stuffed Crust Chicken Bacon Ranch. See the Lot Codes, Best If Used By Dates, and Production Dates HERE to see if you have these in your freezer.

According to the USDA:

FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Various Meat and Poultry Products Containing FDA-Regulated Dairy Products That Have Been Recalled Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination

Normally, I wouldn't think twice about a recalled product because it's very unlikely I'd have it.  This time, though, I had to actually look, because just last week we were at the store, roaming the pizza freezer aisle, and I remember seeing that actual pizza.

I couldn't remember if we actually purchased it, though, and I started wondering if those odds would be close to the odds of winning the lottery? Obviously, the outcome wouldn't be the same. If I won the lottery, I'd be excited, running around high-fiving everyone and buying rounds at the bar. If I won the "I bought tainted pizza" lottery, I'd be running around looking for the nearest bathroom facilities.

Consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. The most common symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 6 hours to 6 days after eating the contaminated product. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days. Most people recover without treatment. In some persons, however, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Older adults, infants, and persons with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop severe illness. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact their health care provider.

Thanks to the internet, you can find information like "what are the odds of winning the lottery" quite quickly. According to the AI assistant, Claude:

Winning one of the major US lotteries is a major long shot.

Powerball (jackpot): 1 in 292,201,338
Mega Millions (jackpot): 1 in 302,575,350
Scratch-off tickets: Typically 1 in 3 to 1 in 5 (for any prize, usually small)

If you're wondering about the chances of buying a recalled product, Claude answered that, too.

Estimated Odds: These vary wildly depending on shopping habits, but rough estimates:

Owning any recalled product right now
~1 in 4 to 1 in 3
Buying a recalled food item in a year
~1 in 20
Buying a recalled consumer product in a year
~1 in 50–100
Buying a car with an open recall
~1 in 8

It's wild that the odds of having a recalled product are pretty high. I'm not a lucky person, so not only did I not win any of the lottery jackpots, but I didn't even pick the right pizza to get recalled. Bummer.

For those of you wondering, I did buy the Great Value Thin Crust...but Three Meat, not Chicken Bacon Ranch.