Shell Egg Recall Hits 380 Million After Salmonella Outbreak

Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa, has recalled an astounding 380 million eggs, the equivalent of nearly 127 million omelettes, after a series of “spikes and clusters of suspicious cases” of salmonella across states from North Carolina to Arizona.

"We are undertaking this additional recall to further protect the safety of consumers — this voluntary measure is consistent with our commitment to egg safety, and it is our responsibility," Wright County Egg officials said in a statement Wednesday.

The affected eggs, which represent less than 1% of all US eggs according to the Egg Safety Center, were packaged under the Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms, and Kemps brands.

Both the CDC and the FDA have been investigating this case since May when the CDC “identified a nationwide, four-fold increase in the number of Salmonella Enteritidis isolates.”

Despite hundreds of reported illnesses, no deaths have occurred, according to CDC epidemiologist Christopher Braden.

• Food Safety.gov - Egg Safety and Salmonella
• American Egg Board — Eggs & Food Safety
• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service — Egg Products Preparation Fact Sheets