Egg Recall: Pasteurized Shell and Liquid Eggs Recommended by FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advise use of pasteurized shell and liquid eggs to help retailers and consumers, to avoid contracting dangerous egg-related salmonella enteritdis (SE).

The FDA recommendation was made amid news of a massive recall of shell eggs and a CDC report that since May 2010, there has been a four-fold increase in the number of salmonella enteritdis isolates identified nationwide, through PulseNet, the national subtyping network made up of state and local public health laboratories and federal food regulatory laboratories.

According to the CDC, it received reports of approximately 200 salmonella enteritdis cases every week during late June and early July. Normally, CDC has received an average of some 50 reports of SE illness each week for the past five years.

In August 13, 2010, Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa, conducted a nationwide voluntary recall of shell eggs that it had shipped since May 19, 2010 to food wholesalers, distribution centers and foodservice companies in California, Illinois, Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. These companies distribute nationwide.

• Don’t eat recalled eggs or products containing recalled eggs. Recalled eggs might still be in grocery stores, restaurants, and consumers’ homes. Consumers who have recalled eggs should discard them or return them to their retailer for a refund. Individuals who think they might have become ill from eating recalled eggs should consult their health care providers.
• Keep shell eggs refrigerated at 45 F (7 C) at all times.
• Discard cracked or dirty eggs.
• Wash hands, cooking utensils, and food preparation surfaces with soap and water after contact with raw eggs.
• Eggs should be cooked until both the white and the yolk are firm and eaten promptly after cooking.
• Do not keep eggs warm or at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
• Refrigerate unused or leftover egg- containing foods promptly.
• Avoid eating raw eggs.
• Avoid restaurant dishes made with raw or undercooked, unpasteurized eggs. Restaurants should use pasteurized eggs in any recipe (such as Hollandaise sauce or Caesar salad dressing) that calls for raw eggs.
• Consumption of raw or undercooked eggs should be avoided, especially by young children, elderly persons, and person with weakened immune systems or debilitating illness.