Egg Recall Ruffles Feathers in the Food Industry

Posted by Kimarie Wolf on August 18, 2010

Cluck-cluck. Don’t eat those eggs – the egg recall has officially hatched and egg retailers and wholesalers are scrambling to mop up the mess.

What Does the Egg Recall Entail?

The FDA, in collaboration with the Federal and State partners, is currently investigating a nationwide increase in Salmonella Enteritidis infections.

Investigations revealed several restaurants or events where more than one person has fallen ill with salmonella after eating there; information suggests that shell eggs are the likely cause of infection.

What the Egg Recall Means for the Food Industry:

Food establishments should replace pooled eggs (raw unpasteurized eggs combined together),  or raw or undercooked shell eggs with pasteurized egg products and pasteurized in-shell eggs.

Everyone in the food industry should make sure the eggs they carry aren’t included in the recall.

Egg Brands Involved in the Recall:

An Iowa company produced and distributed the eggs to these 13 brands and retailers:

Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps.

Recall dates and plant numbers:

Eggs were packed between May 16 and August 13. Look for the dates and codes stamped on the egg carton – the plant number begins with P followed by a number. The date follows the plant number.

Plant numbers and Julian dates involved in the egg recall: Julian dates from 136-225; plant numbers 1026, 1413, 1946.

Symptoms of Salmonella:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Chills
• Headache
• Muscle pains
• Blood in the stool

According to About Salmonella, only about a dozen (out of over 2,000) strains of salmonella cause illnesses – gastroenteritis, typhoid fever (less common in developed nations), and bacteremia. If you have these symptoms after consuming a recalled egg product, we encourage you to see a doctor.

How an ERP System Can Help:

A recall of this magnitude reminds us not only to be especially cautious with food products, but also how important it is to have a good ERP system in place, should an outbreak or product defect occur. Among many other great benefits, eFood, a Microsoft Dynamics NAV powered ERP software system developed specifically for the food and beverage industry can:

• Run an end product or ingredient-based recall in minutes (sometimes seconds!)
• Provide quality testing based on current regulations and compliance guidelines from the FDA and other regulating bodies
• House entire production processes under one system, improving efficiency and information visibility

Want to learn more about eSoftware’s ERP consulting services? Fill out our contact form and one of our ERP experts will contact you within one business day.