More than 200 million eggs are being voluntarily recalled by an Indiana company over fears of salmonella. At least 22 illnesses have been reported, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA.)
Rose Acre Farms in Seymour, Indiana voluntarily recalled 206,749,248 eggs due to the health scare, the FDA said in an announcement Friday. The affected eggs came from a farm in Hyde County, North Carolina and reached nine states.
Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia received eggs through retail stores and restaurants, the statement said. The eggs were sold under the brands Country Daybreak, Sunshine Farms, Coburn Farms, Crystal Farms, Glenview and Great Value.
The recall was issued through an "abundance of caution" due to reported illnesses in the East Coast. The FDA said the illnesses prompted an inspection of the Hyde County farm, which produces 2.3 million eggs a day. The farm has 3 million laying hens with a USDA inspector on-site daily, the agency said.
The recall affects eggs with plant number P-1065, with Julian date range of 011 through date of 102 printed on either side of the carton or package, the FDA said. The massive recall is the largest in the United States since 2010, USA Today reported.
The FDA the eggs may be contaminated with Salmonella Braenderup, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people and those with weakened immune systems.
Healthy people affected with the illness can experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare situations, Salmonella Braenderup infections can cause the organism to enter the bloodstream and produce severe illnesses, such as arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis.
Consumers who purchased the recalled eggs are urged to stop using the eggs and to return them for a full refund.
