Chilton eggs should be safe

Published 9:42 pm Monday, August 23, 2010

Shoppers of grocery stores in Chilton County need not worry about the growing U.S. egg recall — at least not for now.

None of the recalled cartons ended up on Alabama shelves as of Monday, according to Ellie Taylor, president of the Alabama Grocers Association.

“As of right now, none of the stores in Alabama have been affected,” Taylor said.

The massive recall of eggs due to possible contamination from salmonella bacteria is thought to stem from two chicken egg processors — Wright County Eggs and Hillandale Farms, both located in Iowa. But the recall has spread as far west as California and as far east as Georgia, and hundreds of cases of salmonella infection have been reported nationwide.

Taylor said if the recall were expanded to include additional farms, Alabama’s status could change. But in that instance, AGA would take action quickly, she said.

“If we have recalls, we are quick to let our stores know so they will keep the product off the shelves and customers will not be affected,” Taylor said.

Phillip Davis of Associated Foods, which has stores in Clanton, Calera, Brent and Leeds, confirmed Taylor’s report.

“None of the products hit our stores. I don’t believe it hit anybody in Alabama,” Davis said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates that 400,000 people are infected with food-borne salmonella each year in the U.S. Unfortunately, the majority of people who become infected do not seek medical treatment. The most obvious symptoms are fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea.

For the concerned consumer, the Food and Drug Administration has recommended that consumers avoid the “over-easy” cooking style in favor of more thorough methods.

Also, anyone who wishes to compare their egg carton code numbers with a recall list may do so at www.eggsafety.org.