Almark Foods Egg Listeria Outbreak: Fatal Outbreak Linked to Eggs
Almark Foods Recalls Products from Georgia Facility for Listeria Monocytogenes
On December 23, 2019, Almark expanded its voluntary recall, first issued on December 20, 2019 concerning a possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The current recall includes all hard-boiled egg products as well as others from their Gainesville, Georgia facility. Some of the items include retail, pillow pack, pouch pack, frozen diced, and protein kit products.
Almark Foods was first notified by the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration when a connection between Hard-Boiled and Peeled eggs from their Gainesville, Georgia facility and a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak was discovered on December 18, 2019. This outbreak is linked to several cases of illness as well as one death. A recent sample that was taken from the Georgia facility matched the strain of the outbreak. This suggest that Listeria Monocytogenes have remained present in the factory even after their initial discovery.
In order to take the necessary precautions, Almark Foods has recalled all of its products from the Gainesville, Georgia facility that are still within shelf life. Furthermore, all production at the Gainesville, Georgia factory has been halted. The products of concern include all items with the “best if used by” dates up until March 2. If the “best if used by” code begins with the prefix “G” then it was produced in Gainesville, Georgia and is subject to the recall. However, any products with the prefix of “N” or “Y” are not included in the recall. A complete list of recalled items’ brand and product types can be viewed here.
Listeria Monocytogenes are bacterial organisms that can cause mild to severe manifestation of an illness known as Listeriosis. Common symptoms of Listeriosis include fever, headache, stiffness, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. Listeriosis can pose a particular threat to those with weakened immune systems such as the young, pregnant, and elderly.
The CDC and FDA are still investigating, and warn that the Almark Foods Egg Listeria Outbreak may not yet be over.Anyone in possession of items included in this outbreak are urged to promptly discard them. Further information on this outbreak can be found on the CDC’s website and any questions can be directed to Almark Foods’ customer service line at (877) 546-0454.
https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/eggs-12-19/index.html
