Bad eggs prompt largest food recall in years – National Consumers League

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Update: Since this blog post went live, an additional 170 million eggs have been recalled, this time by Hillandale Farms of Iowa, bringing the number of recalled eggs to 550 million. These recalled eggs were sold under the brand names Hillandale Farms, Sunny Farms, and Sunny Meadow. The plant numbers and Julian dates of the recalled products are as follows:

  • Plant number P1860, Julian dates 099-230
  • Plant number P1663, Julian dates 137-230

by Courtney Brein, Linda Golodner Food Safety and Nutrition Fellow

Do you have shell eggs in your refrigerator?  If so, take a close look at that carton before whipping up your next omelet – those eggs may be implicated in a 380 million-egg recall, the largest food recall in years.

On August 13, Iowa-based Wright County Egg voluntarily recalled 228 million eggs, due to possible contamination with Salmonella Enteritidis, and the company has since expanded the recall to include an additional 152 million eggs.  Several hundred cases of Salmonella in Minnesota, Colorado, and California have already been linked to the contaminated eggs, and FDA/CDC field investigation teams are currently determining whether they are responsible for clusters of Salmonella outbreaks in at least seven other states.  Individuals with confirmed cases of egg-induced Salmonella poisoning were likely exposed to the contaminated product in May or June of this year.

The contaminated eggs have been packaged under the following brand names:

  • Albertsons
  • Bayview
  • Boomsma’s
  • Dutch Farms
  • Farm Fresh
  • Hillandale
  • Kemps
  • Lucerne
  • Lund
  • Mountain Dairy
  • Mountain
  • Nulaid
  • Ralph’s
  • Shoreland
  • Sunshine
  • Sun Valley
  • Trafficanda

To determine if eggs in your kitchen from the above brands are subject to recall, locate the plant number and Julian date printed on the carton.  The plant number begins with the letter P, and the Julian date is listed immediately following the plant number (ex: P-1026 135).  The recalled products include plant numbers 1026, 1091, 1413, 1686, 1946, and 1951 and Julian dates from 135 to 225.

If you find the recalled product in your refrigerator, discard the eggs or return the carton to the store where you purchased it for a full refund.  DO NOT CONSUME THESE EGGS.  The recall includes all shell eggs produced by Wright between May 16 and August 13 of this year.

If you suspect that you may have become ill from eating recalled eggs, contact your physician or other health care provider.  Symptoms of Salmonella Enteritidis infection set in 12 to 72 hours after an individual consumes the contaminated product and include fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea.  Small children, the elderly, and those with impaired immune systems are at greater risk for more serious illness or complications.

For more information about the recall, visit the FDA Web site.