The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert on Wednesday because Nutriom LLC of Lacey, WA declined to expand its Feb. 15, 2014, recall to include an additional 118,541 pounds of processed egg products for which there is reason to conclude that they are unfit for human consumption.
The request for expansion was based on evidence collected during an ongoing investigation conducted by FSIS at the establishment. The company has refused to recall the additional processed egg products. As a consequence, FSIS intends to take appropriate action to remove the products from commerce.
FSIS issued the original recall because the company allegedly recorded false laboratory results. The company allegedly produced negative laboratory results for Salmonella when the results were actually positive, or reported that sampling had occurred when, in fact, no microbial testing was performed.
FSIS requested the company to include additional products, but it declined. Because the product was not produced in accordance with FSIS requirements, it is unfit for human consumption.
The following products were shipped to co-packers for incorporation into consumer-size packages:
• 3,884-lb. super sack of “OvaEasy Plain Whole Egg” with the lot code “H0613-B”
• 1,031-lb. super sack of “OvaEasy Plain Whole Egg” with the lot code “I0413-A”
• 958-lb. super sack of “OvaEasy Plain Whole Egg” with the lot code “I0413-A”
• 4,422-lb. super sack of “OvaEasy Plain Whole Egg” with the lot code “L1713-A”
The following products were packaged in consumer-packages:
• 1.75-lb. packs of “OvaEasy Plain Whole Egg” with the Julian dates “0374,” “0384,” “2683” and “2693”
• 66-gram spray bottles of “Bak-Klene Egg Wash” with the lot code “L1013A”
• 1.17-lb. packs of “OvaEasy UGRA, Reduced Cholesterol” with the Julian dates “3129,” “3228,” “3229,” “3230,” “3231,” “3281,” “3282,” “3283,” “3284,” “3337,” “3338,” “3339” and “3340”
• 4.5-oz. cans of “OvaEasy Whole Plain Egg” with the Julian date “2883”
• 571-gram packs of “Vitovo Low Fat” with the Julian date “3193”
• 1.1-lb. bags of “OvaEasy Boil-in-Bag UGR, Heat & Serve (HS)” with the Julian dates “3161,” “3162,” “3182,” “3183,” “3188,” “3201,” “3202,” “3203,” “3204,” “3205,” “3208,” “3209,” “3210,” “3211,” “3212,” “3213,” “3220,” “3221” and “3222”
• 2-oz. packs of “OvaEasy Plain Whole Egg” with the Julian dates “0074,” “0084,” “0094,” “0354,” “0364,” “0374,” “2243,” “2253,” “2953,” “2963,” “3463,” “3473” and “3483”
• 66-gram spray bottles of “Panera Egg Wash” with the Julian dates “0104,” “0154,” “0164,” “0174,” “0214,” “0224,” “0234,” “0244,” “0284,” “0294,” “0304” and “0314”
• 2-oz. pack of “Wise Company, Wise Blend” with the Julian date “0943”
On Feb. 15, 2014, the company recalled 226,710 pounds of processed egg products. To read that recall release, click here.
The dried egg products were produced from May 2013 through January 2014 and bear the establishment number “INSPECTED EGG PRODUCTS PLANT 21493G” inside the USDA Mark of Inspection. These products were shipped nationwide and to U.S. military installations in the United States and abroad, and to Mexico.
FSIS inspects egg products under the Egg Products Inspection Act. FDA typically takes jurisdiction of egg products after they leave the egg facility if they are incorporated into FDA-regulated products. In this case, USDA handled the original recall rather than FDA because the products are in consumer packages with an identifiable USDA Mark of Inspection, and FSIS had jurisdiction over the product when the contamination occurred.
FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare and consume egg products that have been cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees F. The only way to confirm that egg products are cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature.
