FDA, CDC Probe Salmonella Outbreak As Around 1.70 Mln Dozen Brown Eggs Recalled

(RTTNews) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC are investigating a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak linked to brown eggs that sickened nearly 79 across 7 states.

Associated with the ongoing probe, August Egg Co. recalled around 1.70 million dozen brown cage-free and brown certified organic eggs sold through Walmart and other retail locations across nine states.

The California-based company has also stopped selling fresh shell eggs, and said it has been sending its eggs to an egg-breaking pasteurization facility for over 30 days to eliminate any potential foodborne pathogens.

In its warning statement, the CDC noted that 79 people across 7 states have gotten sick with the same outbreak strain of Salmonella that has been linked to eggs. Among them, twenty-one people have been hospitalized, while no deaths have been reported.

Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause serious, sometimes fatal infections, especially in young children, the elderly, or those with weakened immune systems.

Healthy individuals typically experience symptoms like fever, diarrhoea (possibly bloody), nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain.

In rare cases, the infection can spread to the bloodstream and cause severe conditions such as arterial infections, endocarditis, or arthritis.

August Egg's recalled eggs were distributed from February 3 through May 15, with a sell-by date of March 4 to June 19, within California and Nevada.

The products were distributed at retail locations including Save Mart, FoodMaxx, Lucky, Smart & Final, Safeway, Raleys, Food 4 Less, and Ralphs.

Further, Walmart locations in California, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nebraska, Indiana and Illinois sold the impacted eggs from February 3 through May 6, with sell by dates from March 4 to June 19.

The company has warned consumers to return the impacted eggs, identifiable by the plant code number P-6562 or CA5330 on the carton, to the place of purchase for a full refund.

The federal agencies are already investigating another multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to whole cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers Inc. and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc. that sickened 45 people from 18 states as of May 30.

Following the outbreak, Bedner Growers and various companies had recalled fresh cucumbers and related products citing potential Salmonella contamination.

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