More than 200 million eggs were recalled by an Indiana farm operation after a report of 22 illnesses in connection with a salmonella outbreak. The eggs were sold to stores and restaurants in nine states.
Rose Acre Farms voluntarily recalled 206,749,248 eggs for potential of contamination with Salmonella Braenderup, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.
CNN reported the eggs were sold to retail stores and restaurants in Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.
The 53 items affected by the recall include brands like Country Daybreak, Coburn Farms, Crystal Farms, Sunshine Farms and Glenview, with some eggs sold at Food Lion stores, CNN said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection that last from four to seven days. The CDC said that in some persons, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized.
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb issued a Twitter post on the recall.
"The voluntary recall was a result of some illnesses reported on the U.S. East Coast, which led to extensive interviews and eventually a thorough FDA inspection of the Hyde County farm, which produces 2.3 million eggs a day," the FDA said. "The facility includes three million laying hens with a USDA inspector on-site daily."
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service, if not washed and sanitized properly, salmonella can latch onto the outside of the egg's shell because the egg exits the hen's body through the same passageway as feces is excreted.
The service said it is also possible for eggs to become infected by Salmonella Enteritidis fecal contamination through the pores of the shells after they’re laid.
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