Salmonella Outbreak Linked To Massive Egg Recall Worsens With 12 More Sickened

The salmonella outbreak linked to eggs from Rose Acre Farms has worsened, with 12 more reported illnesses since the initial recall notice. In response, the farm has recalled over 207 million eggs, some of which were distributed to restaurants or were sold at major grocery stores such as Walmart, Target, Publix, and Food Lion.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are a total of 35 reported illnesses in nine states and 11 hospitalizations, though no deaths have been reported.

For a full list of recalled brands, consumers are urged to check the Food and Drug Administration's website. However, among those affected are the Great Value brand sold by Walmart and the Crystal Farms brand sold by Target. Other affected brand names include Coburn Farms, Country Daybreak, Food Lion, Glenview, Great Value, Nelms, Publix, Sunshine Farms, and Sunups.

The CDC instructs consumers on how to identify affected products: "Check egg cartons for the following numbers: P-1065 (the plant number) and another set of numbers between 011 and 102 (the Julian date), or, for Publix and Sunups egg cartons, plant number P-1359D and Julian date 048A or 049A with Best By dates of APR 02 and APR 03."

No one should eat, serve, or sell recalled eggs; any eggs affected by the recall should be thrown away or returned for a full refund.

Due to epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback evidence from the CDC, the source of the salmonella was identified to be white-shell eggs produced by Indiana-based farm Rose Acre Farms, though the investigation is ongoing.

"We're disheartened by the additional reported illnesses in recent days and we apologize to anyone who may have been sickened or who has a family member or friend who may have taken ill because of any of our eggs," Gene Grabowski, a representative for Rose Acre Farms, told The Daily Meal. "Rose Acre Farms takes food safety and the welfare of our hens, workers, and consumers very seriously. We vow to do better in the future."

Rose Acre Farms assures consumers that they "have already implemented numerous corrective actions" and "have also taken other steps to ensure that the farm meets or exceeds the standards of the FDA and USDA."

The CDC urges all consumers to handle and prepare fresh eggs with great care, as eggs are one of the foods most likely to give you food poisoning.