By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-12-23 15:01:33 | Updated at 2024-12-23 19:36:44
4 hours ago
The FDA has upgraded a Costco egg recall to its highest risk level over salmonella fears.
On November 27, Handsome Brook Farms issued a recall notice of 10,800 units of Organic Pasture Raised 24-Count Eggs sold under the Kirkland Signature brand name.
The eggs were sold at 25 Costco stores across Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee beginning on November 22.
New York-based manufacturer Handsome Brook Farms said the eggs were not intended for sale but somehow they were packaged and distributed 'by mistake.'
The FDA has updated the recall as a 'Class I' as the eggs 'have the potential to be contaminated with the bacteria salmonella, which hospitalizes 26,000 Americans every year.
A 'Class I' recall is a 'situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death'.
The FDA says salmonella 'can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
Healthy people infected with the bacteria often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
On November 27, Handsome Brook Farms issued a recall notice of 10,800 units of Organic Pasture Raised 24-Count Eggs sold under the Kirkland Signature brand name
In rare circumstances, the FDA says that salmonella can result in the organism 'getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses'.
This could trigger serious, potentially life-threatening conditions such as infected arteries, an inflammation of the heart's inner lining and a type of arthritis called reactive arthritis.
The affected Organic Pasture Raised 24-Count Eggs have the UPC number 9661910680 and are packaged in plastic egg cartons labeled with Kirkland Signature on the top.
The recall only applies to products with the code 327 and a use by date of January 5, 2025, which can be found printed on the side of the plastic egg carton.
No other products are impacted by this recall.
It is unknown why the eggs weren't meant to be sold and the FDA does not confirm if they tested positive for the bacteria.
Shauna Grob, head of operations and finance at Handsome Brook Farms, told Newsweek when the egg recall was initially announced: 'No illnesses have been reported at all.
'We have received a number of consumer calls to confirm whether the units they had in their possession were recall-able, but that has been the only interactions we have had with consumers thus far since releasing press release and notice to Costco consumers.'
The Organic Pasture Raised 24-Count Eggs with the UPC number 9661910680 are packaged in plastic egg cartons labeled with Kirkland Signature on the top
The recall only applies to products with the Julian code 327 and a use by date of January 5, 2025, which can be found printed on the side of the plastic egg carton. No other products are impacted by this recall
In order to prevent the incident happening again, the company has implemented additional supply chain controls and retraining.
To date, there have been no illnesses reported.
Consumers who have the recalled product should not eat the eggs and return to place them to the place of purchase.
While cooking eggs thoroughly is the most effective way to prevent salmonella poisoning, the FDA says the recalled eggs should not be used for cooking or baking.
For any additional questions, customers are advised to contact Handsome Brook Farms.
Salmonella is caused by eating foods contaminated with animal feces.
It typically causes diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps that begin six hours to six days after initial infection, according to the CDC.
Most people recover within days, though the illness is responsible for more than 26,000 hospitalizations and 400 deaths a year.
