Salmonella Scare Skips Smithtown Food Stores

Smithtown food stores Uncle Giuseppe's, Super Stop & Shop and Waldbaums all confirmed that customers should not be concerned by the recent Wright County Egg recall, since the local chains do not distribute the brands affected.

"We do not carry any of the products that were contaminated," said Michael McCauley, assistant manager at Uncle Giuseppe's in Smithtown. McCauley manages the grocery, dairy and frozen departments in the store.

"Our eggs were unaffected since we don't stock those brands," a Smithtown Stop & Shop representative said.

The affected eggs were packaged under the Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Boomsma's, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemp brands.

The Wright County Egg company voluntarily recalled 380 million eggs distributed to food wholesalers, distribution centers and food service companies nationwide after they were found to be contaminated with Salmonella. Testing earlier this week at the Wright County Farm in Iowa indicated that the bacteria was present on the site.

The chance of an egg containing Salmonella is rare in the United States, but 266 confirmed cases have already been reported as a result of this outbreak.

For more information on the recall and the proper handling and preparation of eggs visit www.eggsafety.org.