The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning to foodservice providers Wednesday to not use hard-boiled eggs produced by a Georgia company due to an outbreak of Listeria.
The CDC says hard-boiled eggs produced by Almark Foods in Gainesville, Georgia is the cause of a Listeria outbreak that has killed one and sickened seven people in five states.
The agency warned that consumers ordering foods that are made with hard-boiled eggs, like egg salad or deviled eggs, should ask the provider where they buy their hard-boiled eggs. The CDC advises that consumers not purchase those products if the provider uses Almark eggs or the provider does not know from where the eggs come.
The CDC clarified that the Listeria outbreak was only limited to mass-produced eggs provided to food service providers, and the warning does not include Almark hard-boiled eggs that were sold directly in stores or other hard-boiled eggs sold in stores and restaurants.
Symptoms of listeria incluide headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions in addition to fever and muscle aches. Symptoms can present themselves between one and four weeks after consuming food tainted with the bacteria. People on dialysis, people with cancer and pregnant women are more likely to contract the disease than others.
