The recalled eggs were distributed to 8 states under several brand names. Image: Flickr / adobemac / CC-BY-SA
In what seems like deja-vu, an egg recall has been ordered for an Ohio egg farm. Cal-Maine foods ordered the recall after the FDA informed them that eggs from the Ohio Fresh Eggs farm had tested positive for salmonella. Ohio Fresh Eggs is partially owned by the same man that owns Hillandale Farms and Wright County Egg, both of whom had an egg recall earlier this year.
Egg recall affects 288,000 eggs
The eggs recalled by Cal-Maine foods, the largest egg distributor in the US, were sold in eight states. Arkansas, California, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. The eggs were sold under the brand names Springfield, Sun Valley, James Farm and Sunny Meadow. A full list of UPC codes included in the egg recall can be found here. No illnesses have yet been connected to this egg recall.
Egg recall connected to “habitual violator”
The farm that provided the recalled eggs to Cal-Maine has been under scrutiny in the past. In December of 2006, Ohio Fresh Eggs was shut down because the operators did not reveal that Austin “Jack” DeCoster had invested $126 million in the farm. DeCoster has a stake in Hillandale Farms and Wright County Egg, which were responsible for the egg recall earlier this year that sickened 1,600 people.
Egg recall due to salmonella
In general, most eggs are not tainted with salmonella bacteria. About 1 in every 20,000 chicken eggs contain a very small amount of salmonella — about five microorganisms per egg. It usually takes 100 microorganisms or more per egg to make a person sick. Keeping yourself safe from salmonella is relatively safe, however. Completely cooking eggs to a temperature of 160 degrees will kill any bacteria present. If you have the opportunity, buying eggs from a supplier you know and trust to treat the hens well is also a very good idea, as dirty or overcrowded henhouses are often incubators for salmonella outbreaks.
Sources:
Discovery.com
Iowa Independent
