To date, Indiana Rose acre farms, whose company headquarters are in Indiana, has voluntarily recalled 206,749,248 eggs that could be contaminated with salmonella and were sold in nine states. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that the eggs, which originated from a North Carolina farm, were recalled after 22 cases of salmonella poisoning were reported on April 13. However, the outbreak was originally reported in March. Fox News cited that the contaminated eggs were distributed to retail stores and restaurants in Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

Walmart stores also received eggs from distributors. Some of the brand names of the eggs include Country Daybreak, Food Lion, and Crystal Farms. Health officials found out about the outbreak from reports provided by hospitals and consumers living on the East Coast. The number of suspected salmonella cases has since increased dramatically.

Check egg cartons for the plant number and Julian date

Cartons of contaminated eggs bear the plant number P-1065 and a Julian date range from 011 through 102. Milwaukee's NPR blog cited that this Julian date range means that the recalled eggs were packed from January 11 through April 12. Retailers, consumers, and restaurants are being urged to check their egg cartons and to either toss the eggs or return them to the store or distributor for a full refund.

Although not all the eggs are contaminated, the FDA and Rose Acre Farms are not taking any chances. Any food contaminated with salmonella braenderup, an organism that can cause serious or fatal infections in young children, the weak and elderly, and persons with illnesses or diseases that result in weakened immune systems.

For most people, salmonella poisoning results in fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Anyone with symptoms should immediately seek medical help. Any individual or place of business that has the eggs should also sterilize utensils used to cook the eggs and disinfect counter or table tops, as well.

Rose Acre Farms and have a long record of violations

The company, whose main point of production is in Indiana, has been charged repeatedly with state and federal violations dating back to at least 2011. Rose Acre Farms Inc. is second largest egg producers in the US, with egg-producing chickens in multiple Midwestern and Southern states. As cited by the FDA the company's corporate office is best known for challenging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Department of Agriculture regulations set up to protect the public from contaminated shell eggs. Other violations have included severe rodent infestations and failing to prevent salmonella bacteria during production, storage, and transporting eggs.

Fox News also cited that the North Carolina farm, one of the dozens that contract with Rose Acre farms produces 2.3 million eggs a day.

How to determine if eggs are contaminated

Protection is always the first line of defense to prevent getting salmonella. Chef Frank Proto of the Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan showed Inside Edition how to make sure eggs are safe to eat on the April 17 broadcast and instructions were also cited on Yahoo! News. When cooking eggs consumers and businesses should always make sure eggs are cooked enough so that the yolks are not runny, and raw eggs should never be eaten unless they have been pasteurized. Hard-boiled eggs need to be cooked for at least twelve minutes and eaten while warm or hot.

Inside Edition also cited that all eggs need to be refrigerated at 40 degrees or below to keep dangerous bacteria from growing. To test whether an egg is any good or not consumers can put them in water and if the egg sinks to the bottom of a bowl, sink, or pan of water, they are fresh. If they float, the eggs should be thrown out.
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