ST. PAUL — Several recent cases of salmonella in Minnesota have been linked to stuffed chicken entrees that look cooked but are actually raw, officials said Thursday.

The illnesses happened in two separate outbreaks involving products from two unrelated producers and two different salmonella strains, the state health and agriculture departments said in a statement Thursday.

Four illnesses were linked to Barber Foods Chicken Kiev from April 5 through June 8. The product had a U.S. Department of Agriculture stamped code of P-276. Three other people got sick after eating Antioch Farms Chicken Cordon Bleu from May 9 to June 8. That product had a USDA code of P-1358. Two people were hospitalized in each outbreak, but none died. Both products are sold by many retailers.

Officials say there have now been nine salmonella outbreaks in Minnesota linked to these kinds of products since 1998.

“These chicken products are raw, breaded and pre-browned and often found near pre-cooked products at the grocery store, so even though the current labels state that the product is raw, consumers could mistakenly think the product is pre-cooked,” said Carlota Medus, epidemiologist for the foodborne illness unit at the Minnesota Department of Health.