JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Cal-Maine Foods Inc., the nation's biggest egg seller and distributor, is adding another 120 dozen shell eggs to a voluntary recall announced on Friday.
The company said Tuesday that the eggs may possibly be contaminated with salmonella enteritidis. The recall announcement comes four days after Cal-Maine said it found out one of its suppliers had a sample test positive for salmonella enteritidis.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and those with weakened immune systems. Symptoms can include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
The eggs included in the updated recall announcement made Tuesday were sold under Pippin Loose Medium with a sell by/expiration date of Nov. 7. The plant number was 1457, with a Julian date of 282.
Cal-Maine said individuals who believe they may have purchased eggs potentially affected by the recall should not eat them and bring them back to the store they were purchased at for a full refund.
Cal-Maine said Friday that it was informed by the Food & Drug Administration that supplier Ohio Fresh Eggs LLC of Croton, Ohio, had a routine environmental study sample that tested positive for salmonella enteritidis. The updated Tuesday announcement involves the same supplier.
Cal-Maine said it had purchased about 24,000 dozen unprocessed eggs from Ohio Fresh that were processed and repackaged by its Green Forest, Ark., plant between Oct. 9 and 12.
The eggs involved, which were not produced from Cal-Maine flocks, were distributed to food wholesalers and retailers in Arkansas, California, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. There have been no confirmed salmonella enteritidis illnesses related to the purchased eggs, the company said.
Cal-Maine said it immediately told its customers of the supplier's positive test result and recalled some shell eggs since they may be contaminated.
In September Cal-Maine said it returned to profitability in its fiscal first-quarter. The company said at the time that the recent U.S. egg recall related to a salmonella outbreak had a minimal effect on its quarterly performance.
Shares of Cal-Maine Foods, based in Jackson, Miss., climbed $1.55, or 5.2 percent, to $31.15 in midday trading. Over the past year, the stock has traded between $25.90 and $38.88.
