A food recall is a voluntary action taken by a company to remove its product from market shelves if the product has a problem. There are three types of product recalls:

Class I recall: Use of the product will likely cause serious illness or death.

Class II recall: Use of the product may cause temporary or reversible health effects or there is only a remote chance of serious health effects.

Class III recall: Use of the product is not likely to cause any serious health effects.

Two agencies handle food product recalls. The United States Department of Agriculture handles recalls related to meat, poultry and eggs. Food and Drug Administration is responsible for all other food products such as frozen dinners, casseroles, canned foods, fruits and vegetables and any processed product like bakery goods, dressings, cheeses and snacks.

Where do we find out about product recalls? The most common sources are television, newspapers, grocery stores and www.recalls.gov, your online resource for recalls.

How do you know if you have recalled product?

• Check the package date.
• Check the lot numbers.
• Check the package codes

What can you do if you have a recalled product? Do NOT eat it! Follow directions given in the recall notice. These may include:

• Taking it back to the store where you purchased it.
• Throwing it away.
• Calling the company hot line listed in the recall notice.

For more help with meat, poultry and egg products, call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (888-674-6854).

For more help with other food products, call the FDA district office consumer complaint coordinator. In Georgia, the number is 404-253-1169.

Nationwide recall of certain eggs

The FDA has set up a new webpage to help people identify whether or not they have eggs involved in the recent recall. It shows what the carton numbers look like, how to interpret them and lists the brands and numbers affected. Go to www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/WhatsNewinFood/ucm223536.htm

If you have the brands and numbers listed, return them to the store for a refund or discard them.

Remember, salmonella in eggs is not a new occurrence. Our food systems have become more sophisticated so it can be tracked, identified and traced better than ever before.

Thorough cooking destroys salmonella. Yolks and whites should be cooked firm. There should be no liquid egg remaining when eggs are scrambled. Casseroles or quiches containing eggs should reach at least 165 degrees F.

For consumers who want to prepare recipes with eggs that do not get cooked, they should use a pasteurized egg product which they can purchase in the grocery stores. "Pasteurized" means that the product has been heat treated sufficiently to eliminate risk of harmful bacteria.

However, if they have the eggs that are recalled, take back to store or discard.

Debbie Wilburn is county extension agent in family and
consumer science with the Hall County Extension. Contact: 770-535-8290.