Egg recall sparks warning in five states

An egg recall has sparked a warning about potential salmonella contamination in five states.

According to a recall message shared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday, Handsome Brook Farms initiated the voluntary recall of its 24-count organic grass-raised eggs sold under the Kirkland Signature brand after the packaging of eggs not intended for distribution.

The affected product was distributed to 25 Costco stores in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. The recall is for eggs packaged in a plastic carton with the Julian code 327 and a “use by date” of “January 6, 2025.” The UPC number 9661910680 is also included on the packaging.

No other Handsome Brook Farms or Kirkland Signature products are affected by this recall, while the company said “additional supply chain checks and retraining” are underway “to prevent recurrence” of the problem.

Shauna Grob, director of operations and finance at Handsome Brook Farms, sent an email Newsweek about the recall, saying in part, “No illnesses have been reported at all. We have received a number of consumer calls to confirm whether the devices they had in their possession were subject to the recall, but those have been the only interactions we have had . with consumers so far since the release of the press release and notice to Costco consumers.”

Customers in possession of the recalled product should not consume the eggs and instead return them to their local Costco store for a full refund.

Those with additional questions about the recall can call Handsome Brook Farms weekdays at 646-733-4532, extension 1, from 9 to 18 Eastern Time, the announcement states.

Salmonella is the most common cause of food poisoning in the U.S. Eating contaminated food can trigger an infection known as salmonellosis, which can strike from six hours to six days after consumption, according to to the US Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems are vulnerable to potentially fatal infections, although most cases of salmonellosis are mild. Symptoms, which usually last from four to seven days, include abdominal cramps, diarrhea and fever. Severe cases may include a variety of other symptoms involving the joints and nervous system.

Eggs are often contaminated with salmonella because chickens and other poultry birds usually carry the bacteria. While the pathogen is most likely on the shells of eggs, the interior can also become contaminated, exposing people who eat raw or undercooked eggs to potential infection.

“Salmonella can get on the shells of eggs,” a page on the FoodSafety.Gov website explains. “This can happen when birds lay the eggs and when eggs touch bird droppings (feces) after being laid. Touching eggs from the grocery store is not a major cause of illness because these eggs are washed before reaching the stores.”

“Salmonella can also enter eggs,” it continues. “It happens while the egg is forming inside the chicken, before the egg makes a shell. Today, far fewer laying hens have this problem than in the 1980s and 1990s, so eggs are safer. But some eggs are still contaminated with Salmonella .”