Commissaries NOT Affected By Salmonella Contaminated Egg Recall
By DeCA Public Affairs


As of Aug. 19, military commissaries are not affected by the massive Wright County Egg voluntary recall, according to Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) food safety officials. Although the commissaries may carry some of the brands such as Hillandale and Sunshine that were mentioned in the Aug. 13 recall action, the cartons of eggs sold in military stores are not part of those linked to salmonella contamination.

As of Aug. 19, military commissaries are not affected by the massive Wright County Egg voluntary recall, according to Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) food safety officials.

Although the commissaries may carry some of the brands such as Hillandale and Sunshine that were mentioned in the Aug. 13 recall action, the cartons of eggs sold in military stores are not part of those linked to salmonella contamination, DeCA food safety officials said.

Commissary customers can check the status of their eggs at home by looking for the Julian date and plant code stamped on the end of each egg carton. The plant number begins with the letter “P” followed by its number. The Julian date follows the plant number. Example: P-1946 223.

The initial Wright County Egg recall announcement involved more than 228 million shell eggs. On Aug. 18, the recall expanded to more than 380 million eggs.

The companies and Julian dates and plant codes listed in the Aug. 13 recall are:

• Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps, varying sizes of cartons (six-egg cartons, dozen egg cartons, 18-egg cartons).

• Julian dates of the recalled eggs range from 136 to 225.

• Plant numbers of the recalled eggs are 1026, 1413 and 1946. The companies and Julian dates and plant codes listed in the Aug. 18 recall are:

• Albertson’s, Mountain Dairy, Glenview, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Pacific Coast, Farm Fresh, Lund and Kemps, varying sizes of cartons (six-egg cartons, dozen egg cartons, 18-egg cartons).

• Julian dates of the recalled eggs range from 136 to 229.
 
• Plant numbers of the recalled eggs are 1720 and 1942. 

To date, the recalled product is known to have been distributed to stores nationwide, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recall alert sent Aug. 13. There have been confirmed illnesses relating to the shell eggs and traceback investigations are ongoing, the FDA statement said.

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.

The FDA wants consumers to know that thorough cooking is perhaps the most important step in making sure eggs are safe.

Cook eggs until both the yolk and the white are firm. Scrambled eggs should not be runny.

Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160°F (72°C). Use a food thermometer to be sure.

For recipes that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served — Caesar salad dressing and homemade ice cream are two examples — use either shelled eggs that have been treated to destroy salmonella, by pasteurization or another approved method, or pasteurized egg products. Treated shelled eggs are available from a growing number of retailers and are clearly labeled, while pasteurized egg products are widely available.

Consumers with questions about egg safety should visit http://www.eggsafety.org or call Wright County’s toll-free information number of 1-866-272-5582.

For more information about food safety alerts and product recalls affecting military commissaries, go to the Food Safety section of the DeCA website at http://www.commissaries.com/food_safety.cfm.