GAINESVILLE, Ga. – On Dec. 18, the US Food and Drug Admin. (FDA) notified Almark Foods its Hard-Boiled and Peeled Eggs in pails produced at its Gainesville, Georgia, facility may be associated with a Listeria monocytogenes foodborne illness investigation, which remains ongoing.
Almark took precautionary measures and voluntarily recalled the egg products. It also suspended production of the recalled products and continues to investigate the situation. The products were distributed to foodservice companies nationwide. These products were packaged in 20-, 23-, and 25-lb. plastic pails and sold primarily to further processing plants of egg products and restaurant chain suppliers. Other products produced by Almark are not affected by this recall.
On Dec. 26, Almark’s product was associated with an outbreak of Listeriosis illness consisting of seven known illnesses in five states. St. Louis-based Diebergs recalled various products from shelves containing the eggs in all of its 25 retail stores as a precaution. All of the implicated products have been removed from store shelves. Product was distributed to all Dierbergs Markets retail locations in eastern and central Missouri and western Illinois, but no Diebergs products have been linked to the illnesses. The epidemiological investigation is ongoing.
Bakkavor Foods USA Inc. has also issued a voluntary recall connected to certain lots of Broken Egg Whites products in 20-lb. pails which may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and its association with a Listeria monocytogenes foodborne illness investigation from Almark Foods. The Bakkavor Foods products recalled include Trader Joe’s Egg Salad, 6 oz. and Trader Joe’s Old Fashioned Potato Salad, 20 oz. with “USE BY” date codes up through and including Dec. 27. Products were distributed to Trader Joe’s retail stores nationwide.