Sometimes severe food poisoning. Since Friday, October 25, health authorities have recalled almost three million eggs across France due to the risk of salmonella contamination. To date, eight people have fallen ill.
Food poisoning caused by salmonella can cause symptoms similar to those of gastroenteritis: diarrhea, headache, vomiting but also high fever.
A risk for vulnerable people
These symptoms occur 6 to 72 hours after consumption of contaminated products and usually disappear spontaneously within a few days. “However, the consequences can be serious in certain people who may have special sensitivity,” warns ANSES.
These include people who suffer from malnutrition, those who “suffer from certain diseases (achlorhydria, hypochlorhydria or neoplastic diseases) or are being treated for gastric acidity” or people “under treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics.”
For vulnerable people, the main risk is acute dehydration. “Both in babies and in people with a weakened immune system (autoimmune diseases, immunosuppressive diseases, immunosuppressive medical treatments, etc.), a salmonella infection can be very serious and even fatal,” writes ANSES.
three million eggs
The eggs affected by this recall are sold under the brands Douce France, Ovalis, Poitou Œufs and Tout Frais tout Français and are distributed in almost all major brands: Carrefour, Coopérative U, Auchan, Intermarché, Leclerc, Maximo, but also in Restos du heart. .
The affected egg cartons have “the minimum shelf life date between October 24 and 31” and were marketed between September 29 and October 10.
And to these three million eggs are added three other recalls, this time with precise batch numbers: one of the Carrefour Original brand with eggs that also come from the supplier Ovalis, another of batches of unbranded eggs sold at Lidl, and finally “ Eco+”. Branded eggs sold at E. Leclerc.
“The best protection is adequate cooking of food”
If you are in possession of one of these lots, health authorities ask you to stop using the products and return them to the point of sale or destroy them.
“People who have consumed these products and present these symptoms are invited to consult their doctor and report this consumption. In the absence of symptoms within 7 days after consuming the products in question, there is no need to worry and consult to a doctor”, We can read on the consumer recall site.
“If the product must be cooked before consumption: cooking the products (boiled eggs, cakes, poultry, etc.) through the core at +65°C helps to destroy these bacteria and prevent the consequences of such contamination,” adds the health authorities.
In fact, as the Pasteur Institute points out, in general, “the best protection against the risk of salmonellosis is adequate cooking of food.” “For this reason, it is recommended to keep eggs in the refrigerator, keep uncooked egg-based preparations cold (mayonnaise, creams, pastries, etc.) and consume them as close as possible to their manufacture,” writes the organization.
Therefore, it is recommended that people at risk do not consume raw or undercooked eggs.
Second leading cause of foodborne illness
Salmonella bacteria are found naturally in the digestive systems of farm chickens. They are asymptomatic carriers without being sick. When laying eggs, bacteria from the feces can come into contact with the eggshell.
It is often at the time of consumption, when the shell is broken, that salmonella can contaminate the yolk and white.
According to ANSES, in Europe salmonella infections represent the second cause of foodborne illnesses.
Source: BFM TV
