Valley stores report safe eggs

Frontiersman Staff

MAT-SU — While a massive egg recall has consumers scrambling to see if the eggs in their refrigerators are safe, the Valley’s major grocery retailers say their shell eggs are not affected.

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed Thursday that eggs potentially contaminated with salmonella were distributed in Alaska under the brand name Olympia Valley. News reports indicate at least two confirmed cases of Salmonella poisoning in Alaska from the tainted eggs.

Wright County Egg based in Galt, Iowa, announced an expanded voluntary recall of shell eggs distributed under a variety of brand names because of possible salmonella contamination.

Store representatives at Valley Carrs/Safeway, Fred Meyer, Wal-Mart, Three Bears and Cubby’s Market Place each said Thursday that their stores’ eggs did not come from Wright County Egg. Carrs/Safeway carries the Lucerne brand listed in the nationwide recall, but eggs shipped to Alaska did not originate in Iowa, store staff in Palmer said.

Olympia Valley large eggs sold by the dozen are shipped to Alaska, according to the DEC. The affected cartons have a plant ID number of 1026 with Julian Dates 136–225. A second Olympia Valley product distributed in Alaska is sold in dozen and 18-egg cartons with medium- to jumbo-sized eggs; cartons bear a plant ID number of 1946 and Julian Dates of 136–225. The release did not indicate which Alaska stores carry those eggs.

Consumers who believe they may have purchased these shell eggs should not eat them. They should be destroyed or returned to the store where they were purchased. Consumers with questions should visit eggsafety.org or call Wright County’s toll-free information number (866-272-5582), which contains a message outlining recall instructions for consumers.

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

For more information, visit fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm223139.htm.