LAKE COUNTY ?Eggs packaged under 13 brands might be contaminated with salmonella, which can cause serious health problems, the California Department of Public Health stated Tuesday.
Dr. Mark Horton, director of the department, warned consumers not to eat Wright County Eggs because of possible salmonella contamination.
Wright County Eggs are produced in Iowa and packaged under numerous brand names: Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph”s, Boomsma”s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps, the Public Health Department reported. Eggs are packed in varying sizes of cartons, including six-egg cartons, dozen egg cartons and 18-egg cartons. The plants that processed the eggs have identification numbers 1026, 1413 and 1946. Plant identification codes can be found stamped on the end of the egg carton. The plant number is preceded with the letter “P” and followed by a three-digit number. The recall applies to numbers 136 to 225. For example: P-1946, 223 would be a carton subject to the recall. The production dates in question, 136-225, convert to May 16, Aug. 13 calendar dates.
Symptoms of salmonella infection include fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea, which may be bloody, according to the Public Health Department. Most infected people recover within a week. However, some may develop complications that require hospitalization. Infants, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are at highest risk for more severe illness.
Since May of this year, there has been a nationwide increase in the number of infections due to a strain of salmonella enteritidis, the Health Department reported. Outbreak investigations in several states, including California, have found that some of these illnesses were likely related to eating eggs or foods containing eggs prepared by restaurants or caterers who obtained shell eggs from Wright County Eggs. This particular strain, defined by a matching DNA pattern, is the most common salmonella strain in the United States, and a common source may not explain all of the illnesses.
To prevent illness, consumers are advised to cook eggs thoroughly before eating to destroy any salmonella or other bacteria, according to the Public Health Department. People who develop symptoms of salmonella infection after consuming Wright County Eggs should consult their health care provider.
Eggs affected by this recall were distributed to food wholesalers, distribution centers and foodservice companies in California, Illinois, Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.
Wright County Eggs has initiated a voluntary recall. The Health Department recommends consumers who believe they might have purchased these shell eggs return them to the store where they were purchased for a refund. This recall is of shell eggs only. Other egg products produced by Wright County Eggs are not affected.
