Midwest Poultry Services has recalled nearly 1.6 million eggs because they may be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said. The FDA announced the recall on Wednesday and said the affected eggs were produced at the company’s farms in Texas.
Details
The recall includes both white-shell eggs and cage-free shell eggs from the Texas farms. The eggs were sold to stores in six US states between June 6 and July 3. They have sell-by or best-by dates between July 20 and August 17.
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The FDA also said the eggs were sold through other smaller retail stores in addition to the major supermarket chains. The health agency clarified that no other products made by Midwest Poultry Services are included in this recall. No illnesses linked to the recalled eggs have been reported so far, according to Midwest Poultry Services and the FDA.
The company said it found the issue during routine safety checks at its Texas farms. Midwest Poultry Services said it identified the problem through “proactive environmental monitoring practices and root cause analysis” on its two Texas farms, according to CBS News. After finding the issue, the company stopped distributing fresh eggs produced at those Texas farms.
The FDA advised consumers not to eat the recalled eggs. Consumers who bought the recalled eggs should return them to the store where they purchased them for a full refund. The FDA has published a complete list of the affected egg products in its official recall notice.
The recalled products include white shell eggs and brown cage-free shell eggs produced in Texas. The recalled eggs were sold at Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana and Brookshire Grocery stores in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi and other affected states. Midwest Poultry Services and Kroger did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while Brookshire Grocery could not immediately be reached, according to a Reuters report.
Salmonella Enteritidis is a type of bacteria that can be present on the outside or inside of eggs and can cause food poisoning. The FDA said young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of developing serious or even fatal infections from Salmonella.
In otherwise healthy people, Salmonella infection can cause fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, chills, and headache. The FDA said symptoms usually appear 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food and can last for several days.
