Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY -- The nationwide egg recall, which ballooned to 500 million eggs, has now reached Utah.
The contaminated eggs that made it to Utah were distributed months ago. The product was sent to a West Jordan company that sells to Asian restaurants across the Wasatch Front.
But the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) maintains that the eggs in the state right now are safe. Officials say if you love eggs, you should be fine -- just be sure to cook them thoroughly.
Related:
FDA: only 2 egg farms so far show salmonella
The FDA commissioner says there is no evidence that there are additional farms involved in a massive recall of more than half a billion eggs.Of the 500 million tainted eggs distributed nationwide, only 180 made it to Utah.
"We're under the impression that those eggs are probably long gone," UDAF Larry Lewis said Monday.
The UDAF says Capital Trading LLC received the eggs back in April. Company officials say by the end of May, they had sold all the eggs they received from the Wright County Egg Farm. Now, their stock is fine.
"The stock that's here is safe for everything restaurants can use, because today the FDA already came and inspected everything we have," said Steve Lin, owner of Capital Trading LLC.
Lin says his company distributes to several Chinese buffets, including Panda Express.
After the original publication of this story, corporate relations for Panda Express issued this response:
Panda Express does not have a relationship with Capital Trading, LLC. We use pasteurized liquid eggs in our entrees and only purchase this through our highly vetted vendors.
The UDAF says none of the contaminated eggs come from Utah. That's why officials there believe most big retailers in the state haven't had to pull any eggs.
"We've gone to the largest grocery stores and checked with their suppliers, and found that they are supplied by local growers," Lewis said. "We still feel that the majority of Utahns can feel secure that the egg supply in Utah is safe."
Lewis says it's still a good idea to check the eggs you buy and cook them thoroughly.
As for Capital Trading, Lin says he'll never buy from Wright County again.
"No, no, no," he said. "When we watch the news. We don't receive any eggs from this farm, never."
Lin's probably not the only one who feels that way.
UDAF says it will continue to monitor the situation and let the public know right away if there are any changes.
-----
Story compiled with contributions from Nicole Gonzales and Marc Giauque.
