Black Sheep Egg Company of Arkansas recalls free-range brown eggs over salmonella concerns

An Arkansas egg producer is recalling 12-count and 18-count cartons of free-range large brown eggs after federal health inspectors detected salmonella contamination at a processing site.

Black Sheep Egg Company of Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, pulled products and notified direct customers about the recall of eggs with best-by dates of Aug. 22 through Oct. 31. The company also distributed eggs to other companies in Arkansas and Missouri between July 9 and Sept. 17. Two UPC codes are affected: 860010568507 and 860010568538.

The move came after U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspectors collected samples from the processing site and found 40 that were positive for salmonella bacteria. Seven different strains of salmonella were identified, including some known to cause human illness. None of those strains has been linked to an ongoing outbreak to date, FDA officials noted.

Consumers, restaurants and retail stores should not eat, serve or sell Black Sheep Egg Free Range Large Grade A Brown Eggs in 12-count or 18-count cartons with the affected best-by dates printed on side, the FDA said in a safety alert. Discard them or return them to the place of purchase.

Symptoms of salmonella poisoning usually occur within 12 to 72 hours of eating food contaminated with the bacteria. They include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps and typically last four to seven days. Children, people older than 65 and those with weakened immune systems can develop severe infections.

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