Happenings on the Ranch

Well, I guess the last thing you’ll want to reach for these days is ham and eggs.  Or roast beef, at least if you shop at WalMart.

The USDA announced yesterday that approximately 380,000 pounds of ham and roast beef are being recalled due to possible listeria contamination.  This is a voluntary recall by Zemco Industries, who distributes lunch meats to WalMart stores nationwide.  WalMart immediately pulled the items in question from their shelves.  The meats in question are sold in WalMart’s Marketside Grab and Go sandwiches.

The packages, bearing vendor number 398412808 and the USDA mark of inspection, were produced between June 18 and July 2, with “use by” dates between Aug. 20 and Sept. 10.

The meats involved were only sold in these pre-packaged sandwiches, not individual packs of deli meats.  If you’ve bought one of these sandwiches, return it to the store for a refund.  If you’ve already eaten the sandwich, be on the lookout for symptoms of listeriosis: high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, and nausea. The illness can be dangerous to anyone with a weakened immune system.

I can’t say much more than that.  I’ve been on my soapbox a lot, so I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.

~Karin

Since I’ve been suffering with this back issue for about a month I haven’t been feeling very creative, so this is the first post in about three weeks.  But this one is important so I’m back.

Last week the FDA conductede an on-farm records review and Salmonella testing at Wright County Egg in Iowa and discovered Salmonella contamination.  Wright County Egg has now issued a voluntary recall of their eggs and several confirmed cases of Salmonella illness are being investigated and traced.

Eggs affected by this recall were distributed to food wholesalers, distribution centers and foodservice companies in California, Illinois, Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. These companies distribute nationwide.  These eggs were packaged under the names  Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis or arthritis.

Since it’s been so hot and our hens have not been producing much, I know many of you have had to buy your eggs from the grocery.  If you have purchased eggs under any of the brands listed above, immediately check your eggs for the dates and plant numbers.  These are stamped at the end of the carton. The Julian date is three digits. The plant number begins with the letter P and then a four digit number. If the Julian date is between 136 and 225, and the plant number is 1026, 1413 or 1946, your eggs have been recalled.  The Julian date can be either before or after the plant number.

If you find you have any of the recalled eggs, immediately return the eggs in their carton to the store where you purchased them for a full refund.

If you’ve eaten any of the recalled eggs, be aware of the symptoms of salmonella poisoning which usually appear 12 to 72 hours after eating the infected food:

• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Abdominal Cramps
• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Most Salmonella infections clear up on their own within 5-7 days and often do not need any form of treatment other than drinking lots of fluids. Further care may be required if the infection spreads outside the intestines.  Some people with salmonella infection may develop Reiter’s syndrome. They will have pain in their joints, discomfort of the eyes, and painful urination. This may last for months or years, and can lead to chronic arthritis.  Be especially aware of these symptoms in young children, the elderly and anyone with a compromised immune system.

I hope our hens ramp up their production again soon so we can again provide you all with fresh, clean eggs from our farm.  In the meantime, eat safe.