Recall of cooked eggs due to Listeria postive test results

Recall of cooked eggs and products made from those eggs due to Listeria contamination. Eggs were sold by Michael Foods under the brand names Columbia Valley Farms, GFS, Glenview Farms, Papetti's, Silverbrook and Wholesome Farms. These were institutional sized pails sold to other companies to be used in further packaging or used in foodservice. They were not sold directly to consumers. There have been no associated illnesses.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal (link below), “

"The recall was initiated after lab testing revealed that some of the eggs within the recalled lot dates may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. A recall of three lot dates was announced on Thursday, January 26. As a precautionary measure, the recall was expanded today to include additional lot dates. Michael Foods reached the decision to expand this recall after a thorough investigation which indicated a specific repair project that took place in the packaging room as the likely source of the contamination. The company has taken a number of corrective steps to address the issue and prevent recurrence"

Interesting to note was that work was done in the packaging room. This is a common issue – repair work either introduces Listeria, or releases it from some location where it has been in an inactive state, probably for some time. Whenever work is done, in a kitchen or a processing room, extra attention must be paid to cleaning and sanitizing the area where the work occurred. Additionally, heavy verification testing is recommended to ensure that an organism like Listeria is not present.

 Also, this is another case where positive results obtained through a third party testing laboratory, perhaps done on behalf of a customer, has triggered a recall that has affected a widening number of other customers.


FDA recall notices:
Michael Foods, Inc. is recalling specific lot dates of hard-cooked eggs in brine sold in 10- and 25-pound pails for institutional use that were produced at its Wakefield, Nebraska facility because the product has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm289920.htm
Allison’s Gourmet Kitchens Recalls Prepared Salads that Contain Hard Cooked Eggs - The recalled Prepared Salads that contain hard cooked eggs were distributed in Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Kansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Florida, Tennessee and Missouri.
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm290212.htm

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is recalling hard-cooked eggs, as well as prepared foods that contain hard-cooked eggs, sold between January 23 and February 1, 2012 because the eggs have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. …products sold in Wegmans prepared foods and deli departments….
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm290198.htm



Michael Foods Recalls Hard-Cooked Eggs Packed in Brine Sold in 10- and 25-Pound Pails Because of Possible Health RiskFeb. 1, 2012, 1:03 p.m. EST Wall Street Journal Market Watch
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/michael-foods-recalls-hard-cooked-eggs-packed-in-brine-sold-in-10-and-25-pound-pails-because-of-possible-health-risk-2012-02-01

MINNETONKA, Minn., Feb. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Michael Foods, Inc. is recalling specific lot dates of hard-cooked eggs in brine sold in 10- and 25-pound pails for institutional use that were produced at its Wakefield, Nebraska facility because the product has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The recalled eggs were purchased by food distributors and manufacturers located in 34 states (AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, WA, WI, WV). The recall is limited to hard-cooked eggs in brine in 10- and 25-pound pails produced at its Wakefield, Nebraska facility, which are labeled under six brand names (Columbia Valley Farms®, GFS®, Glenview Farms®, Papetti's®, Silverbrook®, Wholesome Farms®) and bearing lot codes of 1 LOT 1350W through 1 LOT 2025W and expiration dates ranging from 1/30/2012 to 3/10/2012. 

Only lot codes immediately preceded by a "1" AND ending in a "W" are affected, please see the following example: 

Here is an example of the lot codes on the packaging: USE BY 11 FEB 12 1 LOT 1362 W USE BY 11 FEB 12 = Use by Date1 = line impacted by recallLOT 1362 = Lot NumberW = Wakefield 

None of the eggs were sold directly by Michael Foods to retailers or consumers. However, food distributors and manufacturers who purchased the eggs could have used them in products that were sold to retail outlets or used in foodservice settings. Michael Foods is working with customers who purchased eggs from these lots to ensure that all product is removed from the market. Consumers who believe they might have purchased product affected by the recall, or those who are unsure, should contact the original place of purchase. 

There have been no confirmed reports of illness in connection with this product. 

The recall was initiated after lab testing revealed that some of the eggs within the recalled lot dates may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. A recall of three lot dates was announced on Thursday, January 26. As a precautionary measure, the recall was expanded today to include additional lot dates. Michael Foods reached the decision to expand this recall after a thorough investigation which indicated a specific repair project that took place in the packaging room as the likely source of the contamination. The company has taken a number of corrective steps to address the issue and prevent recurrence.

For further questions regarding this recall, please call Michael Foods at 877-367-3447, Monday through Friday, 8am - 5pm EST. 

SOURCE Michael Foods, Inc.