Three of the 13 brands of eggs that are the subject of a nationwide recall were found on Virgin Islands store shelves and have been removed, according to a press release from the V.I. Department of Health. The action follows a voluntary recall by an Iowa egg producer of 228 million eggs linked to an outbreak of salmonella poisoning, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“There have been no illnesses reported in the Virgin Islands to date,” Acting Health Commissioner Fern P. Clarke said. “We urge residents to take the necessary precaution of checking the brand names of the eggs that they purchase until further notice.”
The eggs were distributed around the country and packaged under the names Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemp.
V.I. Environmental Health inspectors and officers have found and removed the following brands: Hillandale, Farm Fresh and Sunshine. In addition to customary inspections, food distribution companies are also paid visits by Environmental Health staff following recalls of products that could result in food-borne illness. The FDA is also investigating.
The recalled eggs are packed in cartons of various sizes, including the dozen-egg cartons and 18-egg cartons. They feature numbers ranging from 136 to 225; plant numbers 1026, 1413 and 1946 are found stamped on the end of the egg carton. The plant number begins with the letter P and then the number, for example, P – 1946 223.
The CDC, which is also investigating, said that the eggs from Wright County Egg in Galt, Iowa, were linked to several illnesses in Colorado, California and Minnesota and that the recall is of shell eggs only.
The most common symptoms of salmonella poisoning are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within eight hours to 72 hours of eating a contaminated product. It can be life-threatening, especially to those with weakened immune systems.
Clarke said consumers can learn more about egg safety by visiting DOH’s Web site at www.healthvi.org and link to the CDC Web site for more information, or call the CDC’s egg safety hotline at (404) 367- 2761.
