Everyone is familiar with the massive nationwide egg recall by two Iowa companies, Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms, who together have recalled 550 million eggs this month. The recall was prompted by salmonella outbreaks from egg consumption, which have sickened at least 1,300 people.
Today, Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Connecticut), who leads the House subcommittee that oversees the Food and Drug Administration, said she is questioning whether there was a significant delay in public notification about the massive egg recall. In a letter to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), she pointed out that there was a 3-day delay between a posting on the FDA website on August 13 reporting a voluntary recall by Wright County Egg, and the first formal communication to the public about the recall on the CDC's website on August 16.
For our readers, see this complete list of recalled eggs. See instructions there on how to read the egg cartons to see if the eggs you purchased are part of the recall.
CNN has provided an update on salmonella outbreaks from eggs in individual states across the country.
In Oregon:
The state has identified eight cases of Salmonella enteritidis at this time, with only one case being linked to the egg recall, said Emilio DeBess of the Oregon Department of Health. DeBess said the affected person ate at a restaurant in California that was named in the outbreak. Otherwise, Oregon has not seen any clusters of cases. Salmonella enteritidis is a very common pattern seen in Oregon, and the department continue to keep watch for clusters of cases, he said.
In Washington:
Although the Washington Department of Health is investigating salmonella cases, none is suspected to be related to the egg recall, said spokesman Donn Moyer. It's been an average year, with no noticeable uptick in cases, he said. "We have 800 cases a year in Washington, so we're always investigating," Moyer said. "As of now, none are pointing in that direction." The department will continue its investigations.
Finally, here is link to safety tips related to egg storage and use.
