Egg Recall List Expands after Salmonella Outbreak; States Added

On Wednesday, a massive egg recall was announced after Wright County Egg in Galt, Iowa reported that salmonella contamination was in specific boxes of eggs the company produced and were distributed to California, Illinois, Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.

Now, reports are that the recall has expanded from 228 million eggs to 338 million eggs, and the list of states has expanded to include Utah, Nebraska, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

The retail brands impacted are Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Boomsma's, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms, and Kemps.

According to The New York Times, Wright County Eggs added 152 million eggs to the recall claim on Wednesday. But the problem has existed since May, when it was discovered via an increase in the rate of Salmonella Enteritidis sickness claims from 50 a week to 200 per week.

Because the problem started in May, many of the eggs have already been cooked and eaten. But Wright County Egg reports they want to recover those eggs still on shelves.

Wright County Egg, of Galt, Iowa, is owned by by Jack DeCoster. The NY Times reports that Wright County Eggs has "had run - ins with regulators over poor or unsafe working conditions, environmental violations, the harassment of workers, and the hiring of illegal immigrants."

US FDA Announcement

The US Food and Drug Administration press release announces the recall expansion, claiming:

Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa is expanding its voluntary recall (original recall date: August 13, 2010) of specific Julian dates of shell eggs produced by their farms because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis or arthritis.

Eggs are packaged under the following brand names: Albertsons, Farm Fresh, James Farms, Glenview, Mountain Dairy, Ralphs, Boomsma, Lund, Kemps and Pacific Coast. Eggs are packed in varying sizes of cartons (6-egg cartons, dozen egg cartons, 18-egg cartons, and loose eggs for institutional use and repackaging) with Julian dates ranging from 136 to 229 and plant numbers 1720 and 1942.

The US FDA says Wright County Egg is "fully cooperating" with their investigation.

Stay tuned.