Egg Recall: What the CDC Has Said So Far

The CDC’s egg warning has expanded its reach and affects more customers than was previously thought. The federal agency’s food safety alert was first issued on Sept. 6. Customers are urged to avoid the affected eggs over salmonella concerns. After the CDC issued its warning, the egg supplier, Milo’s Poultry Farms LLC, issued a voluntary recall.

CDC Egg Recall: Milo’s Poultry Farms

As was previously reported, in response to a salmonella epidemic connected to eggs delivered by Milo’s Poultry Farms, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a food safety advisory. The eggs were originally sold to restaurants and stores in Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, but there have been a total of 65 cases of the outbreak in nine states: California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The bulk of the instances that have been recorded are from Illinois (11 cases) and Wisconsin (42 cases).

The official CDC warning for the eggs advises that all chicken egg types from Milo’s Poultry Farms, including cage-free and organic, have been affected by the recall. The affected eggs are labeled “Milo’s Poultry Farms” or “Tony’s Fresh Market,” and all expiration dates have been listed. As of this writing, the salmonella infection has resulted in 24 people being hospitalized due to infection.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified the company that environmental samples tested positive for salmonella, which prompted the egg recall.

“FDA also conducted whole genome sequencing and found that the samples were related to an ongoing salmonella outbreak investigation,” reported WBAY. “Milo’s Poultry Farms, LLC has ceased production and distribution at this time and will undergo appropriate testing and sanitization of farms and processing equipment.”

Salmonella Concerns

Due to a salmonella epidemic, Bonduel, Wisconsin-based Milo’s Poultry Farms LLC has started an egg recall with the “Milo’s Poultry Farms” and “Tony’s Fresh Market” brands. On Friday, the recall was made public.

Salmonella can be fatal for elderly people and children, causing fever, dehydration, and vomiting. The CDC claims that no deaths have been reported, but 65 customers have fallen ill and 24 have been admitted to the hospital.

However, the CDC pointed out that more people could be sick than currently reported. “The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” the CDC stated, according to USA Today. “This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for salmonella. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.”

Per the CDC, the following steps are essential to avoid salmonella infection:

• Avoid consuming any recalled eggs. Dispose of them or return them to the place of purchase.
• Clean any surfaces or items that may have come into contact with the recalled eggs using hot, soapy water or a dishwasher.
• If you experience any of these severe salmonella symptoms, contact your healthcare provider: Diarrhea with a fever over 102°F, diarrhea lasting more than three days without improvement, bloody diarrhea, excessive vomiting preventing fluid intake, or signs of dehydration.

The egg recall is just the latest salmonella contamination amongst American produce.

Last month, an increased salmonella outbreak for cucumbers was caused by further problems with tainted produce. Currently, 31 states have recalled cucumbers after more than 400 people became ill.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has been made aware of a salmonella outbreak associated with Florida-produced cucumbers since June. According to its most recent update, after consuming contaminated cucumbers, hundreds of people in 31 states as well as the District of Columbia reported experiencing symptoms. As of this writing, 449 of those individuals have become sick, and 125 of them are hospitalized. There have been no recorded fatalities.