Good Earth Egg Company of Bonne Terre, Missouri is voluntarily recalling its shell eggs because they may be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. A Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak linked to those products has been announced by the CDC. At least eight people in three states are sick in this outbreak.
The company is recalling all of its shell eggs. The egg are packaged in 6-count cartons, 10-count cartons, 12-count cartons, 18-count cartons, 15 dozen cases, and 30 dozen cases. The dates and codes on the cartons and cases include everything before and including date code 252 – Sell By 10/08/2016, with “Packed for” or “Produced for Good Earth Egg Company.”
These products were distributed throughout the Midwest, including Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas. The eggs were sold at the retail and wholesale level, to institutions, and to restaurants and also to walk-in customers at the Company. In the metropolitan St. Louis area, they were sold at Dierbergs, Straubs, Midtowne Market, and Price Chopper.
This is the second Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak linked to Good Earth Egg Company shell eggs in the last year. The CDC stated that “The strain of Salmonella Oranienburg in this outbreak also is closely related genetically to a Salmonella Oranienburg strain from a 2015 outbreak linked to the Good Earth Egg Company. In the 2015 outbreak, 52 people infected with the outbreak strain were reported from six states. In response to the 2015 outbreak, Good Earth Egg Company recalled all of its shell eggs on January 9, 2016.”
The CDC also states that, “Federal, state, and local health and regulatory officials performed a traceback investigation from one restaurant location in Missouri where three ill people reported eating eggs. This investigation indicated that Good Earth Egg Company supplied eggs to that restaurant. Missouri health officials collected and tested shell eggs from the Missouri restaurant location and isolated the outbreak strain of Salmonella Oranienburg. Additionally, environmental samples taken at the Good Earth Egg Company processing facility isolated the outbreak strain of Salmonella Oranienburg. WGS showed that the isolates of Salmonella Oranienburg from eggs distributed by Good Earth Egg Company are closely related genetically to isolates from ill people in this outbreak and from ill people and environmental samples in the 2015 outbreak.”
If you purchased these eggs, do not eat them, even if you are going to cook them thoroughly. Always cook any shell eggs to a final temperature of 160°F as tested with a food thermometer. Throw these recalled eggs away in a sealed package or container so other people and animals can’t eat them, or take them back to the place of purchase for a full refund. Wash your hands well with soap and water after handling this product.
If you ate any of these eggs and have experienced the symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning, see your doctor. Symptoms of a Salmonella infection include diarrhea that may be bloody, nausea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal cramps. These symptoms appear six hours to three days after exposure. If you do get sick, see your doctor and tell him you ate this recalled product. Even if you recover on your own, Salmonella infections can result in long term health complications, including reactive arthritis, high blood pressure, and irritable bowel syndrome.
