An egg recall has sparked a warning of potential salmonella contamination in five states.
According a recall notice shared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday, Handsome Brook Farms initiated the voluntary recall of their 24-count organic pasture-raised eggs sold under the Kirkland Signature brand name following the packaging of eggs not intended for distribution.
The affected product was distributed to 25 Costco stores in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. The recall is for eggs packaged in a plastic carton with the Julian code 327 and a "use by" date of "Jan 6, 2025." The UPC number 9661910680 is also included on packaging.
No other Handsome Brook Farms or Kirkland Signature products are affected by this recall, while the company said that "additional supply chain controls and retraining" are underway "to prevent recurrence" of the issue.
Newsweek reached out to Handsome Brook Farms via email for comment on Wednesday night.
As of Wednesday, when the recall was initiated, no related illnesses had been reported. Customers in possession of the recalled product should not consume the eggs and instead return them to their local Costco store for a full refund.
Those with additional questions about the recall can call Handsome Brook Farms on weekdays at 646-733-4532, extension 1, from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Eastern Time, the notice states.
Salmonella is the most common cause of food poisoning in the U.S. Eating contaminated food can trigger an infection known as salmonellosis, which can strike from six hours to six days following consumption, according to the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems are vulnerable to potentially fatal infections, although most cases of salmonellosis are mild. Symptoms, which usually last from four to seven days, include abdominal cramps, diarrhea and fever. Severe cases can include a range of other symptoms involving joints and the nervous system.
Eggs are often contaminated with salmonella because chickens and other poultry birds commonly carry the bacteria. While the pathogen is most likely to be on the shells of eggs, the interior can also become contaminated, exposing people who eat raw or undercooked eggs to potential infection.
"Salmonella can get on the shells of eggs," a page on the FoodSafety.Gov website explains. "This can happen when birds lay the eggs and when eggs touch bird droppings (poop) after being laid. Touching eggs from the grocery store is not a major cause of illness because those eggs are washed before they reach stores."
"Salmonella can get inside eggs too," it continues. "This happens while the egg is forming inside the chicken before the egg makes a shell. Today, a lot fewer egg-laying hens have this problem than during the 1980s and 1990s, so eggs are safer. But some eggs are still contaminated with Salmonella."