Ongoing Salmonella outbreak spurs recall of shell eggs

For additional details on the current outbreak linked to Good Earth Egg Co. shell eggs, please see: “Egg producer implicated in another Salmonella outbreak” 

A Missouri cage-free egg producer is recalling all of its shell eggs in the midst of the second Salmonella outbreak linked to its operation in less than a year.

Good Earth Egg Co. LLC distributed the eggs throughout the Midwest to retailers, restaurants, wholesalers, institutions and walk-in customers at its Bonne Terre, MO, operation. As of Monday, the Salmonella outbreak had sickened eight people in three states.

A similar outbreak traced to Good Earth Egg Co that began in December 2015 sickened at least 52 people in six states.

The recall notice — posted on the Food and Drug Administration’s website a day after the agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the current Salmonella outbreak — specifies the recalled eggs went to Missouri, Kansas and Illinois, but leaves open the possibility that other states in the Midwest may have also received the eggs.

“Good Earth eggs were sold at Dierbergs, Straubs, Midtowne Market and Price Chopper in the metropolitan St. Louis area,” according to the recall notice.

“Consumers do not need to return the product to the store where it was purchased. Instead, consumers should discard any product and its container. Good Earth Egg Co. will work directly with each consumer to manage replacement of its product. Consumers with questions may contact Good Earth Egg Co. LLC at goodeartheggco@hotmail.com.”

The recalled eggs can be identified by information on the cartons. The company reports the “dates and codes on the cartons and cases include everything prior to and including date code 252 – Sell By 10/08/2016, with ‘Packed for’ or ‘Produced for Good Earth Egg Company.’ ”

The recall includes various sizes of shell eggs are packaged in the following ways:

• 6-count cartons;
• 10-count cartons;
• 12-count cartons;
• 18-count cartons;
• 15 dozen cases; and
• 30 dozen cases.

The family-owned company did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday. A written statement was posted with the recall notice:

“We are taking these steps because consumer safety is our top priority. As a third-generation family operated farm, we are solely focused on providing fresh, quality, healthy eggs to local consumers. Although no Good Earth Egg Co. eggs have tested positive for Salmonella, we feel strongly that issuing a voluntary recall is the right thing to do. Good Earth Egg Co. is working closely with the FDA to determine the root cause of the potential contamination.”

Anyone who has eaten eggs and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection is urged to seek medical care, being sure to inform their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella.

Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea that is often bloody, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis.

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from Food Recalls – Food Safety News http://ift.tt/2dcmcCz