Valley egg vendors OK

The four grocery stores in Carson Valley are clear of contaminated eggs, according to each store's manager.

"We don't have those eggs. Our eggs are totally safe," Hank Paxson, Gardnerville Raley's store leader, said Friday.

He was referring to the recent Salmonella outbreak that's been scaring egg enthusiasts across the country.

According to Dr. Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health, a portion of eggs produced May 16-Aug.17 by Wright County Egg in Iowa have been recalled due to potential Salmonella contamination, a dangerous bacterium.

The eggs were in stores within a few days of production and have been distributed in 16 states.

"We're not affected," Craig Ziglar, co-manager of Scolari's in Gardnerville, said Friday. "We get all our eggs from Washington. I've gotten e-mails from everyone saying we're okay."

Same goes for Smith's in Gardnerville, which gets their eggs from Utah and Idaho, and Lira's Market in Minden.

"I already talked to the supplier, and we're good," said Lira's manager Kevin Mary.

Horton said there have been two recalls. If someone has eggs from either, he said, they should return them to the store of purchase for a refund.

The newest recall covers eggs packaged under the brand names of Albertsons, Farm Fresh, James Farms, Glenview, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Boomsma, Lund, Kemps, Pacific Coast and Country Eggs, and are marked with plant numbers P-1720, P-1942, P-1946 and P-1026, and a three-digit code ranging from 136 to 229.

The earlier recall covered the Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Boomsma, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps brands that were marked with plant numbers P-1026, P-1413 and P-1946 and three-digit code ranging from 136 to 225.

Printed on the outside of the egg cartons, the plant number begins with "P" and is followed by the three-digit code.

Horton said symptoms of Salmonella infection include fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea, which may be bloody. Most infected people recover within a week; however, some may develop complications that require hospitalization.

Infants, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are at highest risk for more severe illness.

Since May of this year, Horton said, there has been a nationwide increase in the number of infections due to a strain of Salmonella enteritidis. Outbreak investigations in several states, including California, have found that some of the illnesses were likely related to eating eggs or foods containing eggs prepared by restaurants or caterers who obtained shell eggs from Wright County Egg.

Horton said recalled eggs should not be eaten and that any eggs should be cooked thoroughly before eating to destroy Salmonella or other bacteria. He said people who develop symptoms of salmonella should consult their doctor.

For more information, visit www.cdph.ca.gov or www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/default.htm.

1. Keep eggs refrigerated at cooler than 45 degrees at all times.

2. Discard cracked or dirty eggs.

3. Wash hands, cooking utensils, and food preparation surfaces with soap and water after contact with raw eggs.

4. Eggs should be cooked until both the white and the yolk are firm and eaten promptly after cooking.

5. Do not keep eggs warm or at room temperature for more than two hours.

6. Refrigerate unused or leftover egg-containing foods promptly.

7. Avoid eating raw eggs.

8. Avoid restaurant dishes made with raw or undercooked, unpasteurized eggs. Restaurants should use pasteurized eggs in any recipe (such as Hollandaise sauce or Caesar salad dressing) that calls for raw eggs.

9. Consumption of raw or undercooked eggs should be avoided, especially by young children, elderly persons, and persons with weakened immune systems or debilitating illness.

www.cdc.gov