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380 million eggs recalled over possible salmonella tainting

By Caitlin Hagan, CNN
Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa, added several more batches and brands to the recall Wednesday.
Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa, added several more batches and brands to the recall Wednesday.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Recall adds to recall announced last week
  • Eggs are from Iowa's Wright County Egg
  • Company says it is cooperating with FDA investigation to find source

(CNN) -- A voluntary recall of eggs because of salmonella fears reached 380 million eggs Wednesday, the Egg Safety Center said.

Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa, which announced an earlier recall last week, added several more batches and brands to the recall Wednesday afternoon.

"Wright County Egg is fully cooperating with FDA's investigation by undertaking this voluntary recall," the company said in a statement. "Our primary concern is keeping salmonella out of the food supply and away from consumers. As a precautionary measure, Wright County Egg also has decided to divert its existing inventory of shell eggs from the recalled plants to a breaker, where they will be pasteurized to kill any salmonella bacteria present."

After an uptick in salmonella infections, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration traced the source and determined it was most likely eggs from Wright County Egg. The company says it is working to determine how the shell eggs are being contaminated.

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The new recall covers eggs branded as Albertsons, Farm Fresh, James Farms, Glenview, Mountain Dairy, Ralphs, Boomsma, Lund, Kemps and Pacific Coast and are marked with a three-digit code ranging from 136 to 229 and plant numbers 1720 and 1942, the company said.

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

The plant number beings with "P - " and is followed by the three-digit code.

Both recalls affect eggs packed in several different sized cartons, from a half-dozen to 18-eggs. Only shell eggs are affected by the recall, the company said.

Consumers are encouraged to return the eggs in their original packaging to where they were purchased for a full refund.

Salmonella bacteria can be found inside and outside of eggs that appear to be normal.