Gravel Ridge Farms issues egg recall after salmonella outbreak

Gravel Ridge Farms has issued a recall for some of its cage-free eggs after 14 cases of salmonella poisoning were reported in the United S...

Gravel Ridge Farms has issued a recall for some of its cage-free eggs after 14 cases of salmonella poisoning were reported in the United States. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI

By Nicholas Sakelaris, UPI

Gravel Ridge Farms has recalled its cage-free large eggs that were sold in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee this summer, after they were linked to more than a dozen people sickened with salmonella.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked the outbreak to a farm in Cullman, Alabama. Officials said the eggs were distributed and sold in grocery stores and served in restaurants.

Fourteen cases of salmonella have been linked to the eggs, officials said.

The recalled eggs have "best if use by" dates of July 25, 2018 through Oct. 3, 2018, officials said. The outbreak started in July and carried into August.

The CDC said customers should throw out the affected eggs or return them to the store for a refund, regardless of the expiration date. Even if some eggs were eaten and no one got sick, the agency recommends they should be discarded.

The CDC also advised drawers and shelves where the eggs were stored to be cleansed.

Salmonella can be deadly, but no deaths have been reported from the outbreak. Poisoning typically causes diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps about 12 to 72 hours after exposure. It can last up to a week.