500 Million Eggs Recalled…and Counting
The salmonella-infected egg recall continues to expand. The eggs, which have sickened more than 1,000 consumers since at least May are thought to be infected with salmonella contacted by laying hens from rodent droppings. The salmonella exists inside the egg itself, not just on the shell. The number of illnesses is expected to continue to increase.
Iowa has been the epicenter of the outbreak, and the investigation recently widened from one to two farms, increasing the number of eggs recalled from 380 million at Wright Country Egg to 550 million in one fell swoop with the addition of Hillandale Farms. Laboratory tests have confirmed the presence of salmonella in eggs at both of the farms involved in the recall, as well as confirming tainted eggs from both farms include the same strain of salmonella: salmonella enteritidis.
The Hillandale addition to the recall includes eggs sold between April and August under various brand names such as Sunny Meadow, Wholesome Farms, Sunny Farms, Hillandale Farms, and West Creek. Fourteen states are affected: Arkansas, California, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin.
A sign warns customers of the recall of certain lots of eggs that had been previously sold at a supermarket in Los Angeles on Thursday. A salmonella outbreak that sickened hundreds and led to the recall of hundreds of millions of eggs from one Iowa firm will likely grow, federal health officials said Thursday. No eggs currently on the shelf at this store were affected by the recall.
A food safety expert at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., said the source of the outbreak could be rodents, shipments of contaminated hens, or tainted feed. Microbiology professor Patrick McDonough said he was not surprised to hear about two recalls involving different egg companies, because in other outbreaks there have also been multiple sources.
Consumers have encountered recall notice signs at supermarkets, convenience stores, and shops all over the country. The FDA and other federal authorities have stated the the recall and number of illnesses will likely continue to grow. While the source of the salmonella could range from rodents to tainted feed to hens contaminated from hatching, so far most experts feel that rodents are the most likely source, at both affected farms.
Hens do not pass the bacteria to other hens, or even necessarily become sick or show signs of infection. Instead, an infestation of infected rodents means that tainted droppings are consumed by the hens. While not sickened, the hen has her ovaries infected by this strain of salmonella, which is then passed to her eggs.
Salmonella illness is not unheard of under normal conditions, but the number of reported cases between May and July is nearly 1,300 more than normal, according to the CDC. The number of cases is expected to increase as late July and early August illnesses are reported. No deaths have been reported.
Consumers should discard or return recalled eggs, even though thorough cooking can be effective in killing the bacteria. Salmonella symptoms include abdominal cramping, diarrhea, and fever, which set in between eight hours and three days from ingesting a contaminated food. Health officials point out that while no consumers are known to have died as a result of this egg outbreak, salmonella infection can be fatal, in particular for those with weakened immune function for any reason.
Tags: egg recall, food safety, salmonella
