Millions of eggs recalled due to salmonella contamination

A recent statement from the FDA has confirmed that a farm in Indiana has recalled over 200 million eggs due to a potential contamination with the Salmonella Braenderup bacteria. Rose Acre Farms in Indiana is one of the largest egg producers in the US. The farm, based in Hyde County, produces around 2.3 million eggs every day. So far, twenty two cases of salmonella have been reported by consumers from the eggs.

The FDA was responding to a cluster of outbreaks across a several US states last month, and traced the outbreak to Rose Acre Farm. A statement from the agency said that 206,749,248 eggs are now being voluntarily recalled by the farm to manage the risk to the public. Some of the brands affected include  Country Daybreak, Coburn Farms, Crystal Farms, Sunshine Farms and Glenview.

It’s estimated that there are 1.2 million cases of salmonella infections in the US every year. The majority of these are caused by contaminated food, and result in around 450 deaths a year. There have been a number of high profile cases of salmonella contamination in recent years, including the ongoing scandal with Lactalis infant milk powder. Symptoms include nausea, fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, infections can be fatal. Salmonella is particularly dangerous in young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.

Consumers have been urged to check any products produced by these brand across the nine affected states: Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. DA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb tweeted: “Consumers with these eggs shouldn’t eat them. Throw them away or return them to place of purchase for credit or refund.”

According to a statement from the company, a US Department of Agriculture inspector is on site on a daily basis. They added: “The Hyde County farm has never before experienced a recall or serious safety violation,” and the recent recall “was conducted in full cooperation with the FDA.”