In the news

On December 23, 2019, Almark Foods expanded its voluntary recall to include all hard-boiled eggs manufactured at its Gainesville, Georgia facility. At this time, Almark Foods is no longer producing products from this facility. Companies who received recalled product from Almark Foods have initiated recalls of products containing these eggs. Additional companies and products may be added as the investigation continues.

Bakkavor Foods (Trader Joe’s Egg Salad and Potato Salad) (See previous news)

Diebergs Kitchen (Diebergs Market products) (See previous news)

Reichel Foods (Pro2Snax To The Max) recalled Pro2Snax To The Max Granny Apples /Hard-Boiled Egg/Cheddar/Cashew & Craisin and Pro2Snax To The Max Gala Apples/Hard-Boiled Egg/White Cheddar/Almond & Craisin. These items were distributed to retailers nationwide. Almark Foods may have supplied single serve prepackaged Hard Boiled Eggs contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes

Great American Deli of Ooltewah, Tennessee recalled Egg Salad Sandwich. Almark Foods initiated a recall and is an ingredient supplier to one of Great American Deli’s suppliers, Knott’s Fine Foods, that provides egg salad to Great American Deli. The affected product has been delivered to convenience stores, micro markets and vending machines in Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

Whole-genome sequencing of the Listeria monocytogenes found in environmental samples collected at the Almark processing facility during FDA inspections conducted in February 2019 and December 2019 are a genetic match to the outbreak strain. On December 23, 2019, Almark Foods expanded the initial recall to include all hard-boiled eggs produced at its Gainesville, Georgia facility. This outbreak strain was found during environmental sampling in 2017 of one other food facility. That facility is not currently handling food and ceased operation in 2018. @ https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-listeria-monocytogenes-linked-hard-boiled-eggs-december-2019?utm_campaign=Outbreak_Eggs_12262019&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

The process of fast and accurate bacterial identification, sub-typing, and strain-level differentiation is of high importance in epidemiology. A research group from Copenhagen, Denmark, published an article describing a rapid, accurate and inexpensive method for the identification of bacterial isolates down to species/strain level. The new method developed for bacterial DNA enrichment and tagmentation allowing fast (<24 h) and cost-effective species-level identification and strain level differentiation using the MinION portable sequencing platform (ON-rep-seq). The method in combination with ONT-sequencing platforms, allows for highly cost-effective, bulk screening of bacterial isolates with species and strain-level resolution. The method is claimed to have the potential to become a modern standard molecular-based method with multiple applications in research, industry, and medicine. @ https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-019-0617-x#Sec7
 

The FDA announced on its website that the St. Louis based Dierbergs Markets recalls various products in all 25 retail stores due to the recent recall by Almark of its hardboiled eggs. The Almark hardboiled eggs have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The Almark’s product is associated with an outbreak of Listeriosis illness consisting of 7 known illnesses in 5 states.  These eggs were used as an ingredient in a variety of Dierbergs Markets products. No illnesses are linked to Dierbergs products to date, but the epidemiological investigation is ongoing. Recalled products include potato salads, egg salads, Remoulade, Salad Togo Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad, and Salad Togo Classic Ham & Turkey Chef Salad. All of the implicated products have been removed from store shelves. The product was distributed to all Dierbergs Markets retail locations in eastern and central Missouri and western Illinois.@ https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/dierbergs-markets-recalls-egg-containing-products-because-possible-health-risk?utm_campaign=Dierbergs%20Markets%20Recalls%20Egg-containing%20Products%20Because%20of%20Possible%20Health%20Risk&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

The FDA announced on its website that Bakkavor Foods USA, Inc. recalls Trader Joe’s Egg Salad, 6 oz, and Trader Joe’s Old Fashioned Potato Salad, 20 oz because these products have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. This recall is a result of the recall by Almark Foods of Gainesville, GA the supplier of certain lots of Broken Egg Whites products in 20 Lbs pails which may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and its association with a Listeria monocytogenes foodborne illness investigation. Products were distributed to Trader Joe’s retail stores in Alabama, Connecticut, DC, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, and Wisconsin. To date, there have been no confirmed illnesses. @ https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/bakkavor-foods-usa-inc-issues-voluntary-recall-trader-joes-egg-salad-and-potato-salad-because