Nationwide Recall of Eggs due to Salmonella Enteritidis Infection. Prevention and Symptoms.
Posted: Thursday, August 19, 2010
by Nenita Wells
One of the most recent Food and Drug Administration recalls and safety alerts is about the nationwide voluntary recall of shell eggs . Prevention and advice to consumers from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and how to recognize the signs and symptoms of the illness are outlined below.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, on August 13, 2010, Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa, conducted a nationwide voluntary recall of shell eggs that it had shipped since May 19, 2010 to food wholesalers, distribution centers and food service companies in California, Illinois, Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. These companies distribute nationwide.
They come in cartons ranging from six to 18 eggs and are marked with plant numbers P-1026, P-1413 and P-1946.
What is Salmonella enteritidis?
A bacterium that can cause illness, Salmonella enteritidis, can be inside perfectly normal appearing eggs, silently infects the ovaries of healthy appearing hens and contaminates the eggs before the shells are formed.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Advice to Consumers
- Don't eat recalled eggs or products containing recalled eggs. Recalled eggs might still be in grocery stores, restaurants, and consumers' homes. Consumers who have recalled eggs should discard them or return them to their retailer for a refund.
- Individuals who think they might have become ill from eating recalled eggs should consult their health care providers.
- Keep eggs refrigerated at 45 F (7 C) at all times.
- Discard cracked or dirty eggs.
- Wash hands, cooking utensils, and food preparation surfaces with soap and water after contact with raw eggs.
- Eggs should be cooked until both the white and the yolk are firm and eaten promptly after cooking.
- Do not keep eggs warm or at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Refrigerate unused or leftover egg- containing foods promptly.
- Avoid eating raw eggs.
- Avoid restaurant dishes made with raw or undercooked, unpasteurized eggs. Restaurants should use pasteurized eggs in any recipe (such as Hollandaise sauce or Caesar salad dressing) that calls for raw eggs.
- Consumption of raw or undercooked eggs should be avoided, especially by young children, elderly persons, and persons with weakened immune systems or debilitating illness.
According to CDC the following are the signs and symptoms of a person infected with Salmonella Enteritidis:
- Fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea beginning 12 to 72 hours after consuming a contaminated food or beverage.
- The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most persons recover without antibiotic treatment.
- Diarrhea can be severe, and hospitalization may be required.
The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems may have a more serious illness. In these patients, the infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics.
Be well and stay well.
Nenita Wells
08/19/2010
Resources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The author was born in one of the 7,100 islands in the Philippines, in Leyte where the famous American five-star general, Douglas MacArthur landed during WWII. She is one of eight children, and she has thirty-five nieces and nephews. She was raised by her parents to be a good Christian. Attended public school both in Elementary and High School in the Philippines. She went to college under the work and study program, earned her bachelor's degree with honors and her first paid full-time job was as secretary to the High School Principal, her first boss was a Benedictine Sister from Germany who was the Administrator of the Catholic school. She lived in New York City from 1977 to 2004 and now lives in Providence, Rhode Island. She loves to read and write poetry.
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More commentsI took all of our Dutch Farms eggs off the shelf today, even though the lot numbers were different. Better safe than very sorry. Well done.You are right, Michael. Better safe than very sorry. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read and comment.
I wonder how many eggs had to be done away with - hundreds of thousands? Great that you've alerted people, Nenita.Hi Jennifer. There are 380 million eggs recalled by Wright County Egg and 170 million eggs by another farm in Iowa under the brand names:Hillandale Farms, Sunny Farms, and Sunny Meadow. Thanks for stopping by and for taking the time to read and comment. Best regards. ~~Nenita
Beautifully done, great information, como siempre! I was going to slip some of those contaminated eggs in to some of my enemies refrigerators, but no, now because of you, everybody knows about it, gee thanks! lolHa ha, good sense of humor. Thank you for your kind words and thank you for taking the time to read and comment. I am glad I am able to keep people aware about this. All the best. ~~Nenita
Thanks for the great info!SteveYou are welcome. Steve.
The egg recall is so important to know because anyone could be eaton those rotten eggs.Hi James. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. Those rotten eggs can make you sick and miserable for a week. Thanks again for stopping by. ~~Nenita
Throughout my life I have eaten raw eggs in cookie dough. Heck, don't even bother baking the cookies! But, knowing the dangers, I won't give it to my young grandson. I guess deep down I know the hazards. Good article.Hi Lorrie. Thank you for stopping by. As Michael said, "Better safe than very sorry." Blessings.~~Nenita
Great informative article. I had never thought about eggs and salmonella before either, even though I do know eggs can go bad. Just last night I saw one of the chicken farms in question on TV and I am not so sure I will want another egg or chicken again.Hi Linda. I also thought that eggs are the safest food one can eat until the recall. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read and make a comment. Blessings. ~~Nenita
All these food recalls are worrisome to me. Seems recalls of some type are constantly in the news. I keep several chickens and guinea hens as "my backyard flock" along with the horses. There is something to be said about getting your own eggs from your own chickens! No, I don't raise my chickens for meat - they're mostly fun to watch and have around to eat ticks and bugs. Thank you for the warning of the salmonella.
You are very fortunate to have chickens, guinea hens and horses in your backyard. My wishful thinking is to have a yard full of geese, ducks, chicken, rabbits and goats, but they are just my dreams. Thanks for taking the time to read and make a comment, it means a lot to me. All the best.
Thank you for passing along good information. Fine article. We have our own chickens - I have four. Two are very old (I laugh because they are getting old enough to vote - almost). The other two live with Patrick, my horse, right in his stall. He looks out for them. They lay an egg a day and are last year's chickens. Friendly, I can pick them up if they are lose and all my feather friends come when I call them. I know I have a good thing going, and our eggs are always fresh.
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