CDC investigating Listeria Infections linked to Hard-Boiled Eggs

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a food safety alert regarding a multistate outbreak of Listeria infections linked to hard-boiled eggs.  Seven people in five states, Florida, Maine, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas, have been infected. Four of those people have been hospitalized and one death has been reported from Texas.  Interviews with ill people and laboratory evidence indicate that bulk, fresh hard-boiled eggs produced by Almark Foods of Gainesville, Georgia, are a likely source of this outbreak. These eggs were packaged in plastic pails and sold under various brand names nationwide to foodservice operators, including grocery stores and restaurants.  Because Listeria can cause severe infections, CDC is warning against selling, serving, or using these hard-boiled eggs to make other foods, such as egg salad. This investigation is ongoing to determine the source of contamination and if additional products are linked to illness.