How to avoid Salmonella amid major egg recall in Canada

With a major egg recall in multiple provinces, Canadians might be wary about what they cook for breakfast.

On Saturday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued a recall notice for certain egg brands due to possible Salmonella contamination.

Brands affected include Compliments, Foremost, Golden Valley Eggs, IGA, No Name, and Western Family.

They were sold in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and possibly other provinces and territories.

The egg recall only affects cartons with the following lot codes:

Test results triggered the egg recall, and according to the CFIA, no illnesses have been reported associated with consuming these products.

The agency says it’s conducting a food safety investigation, which could lead to the recall of other products.

On Sunday, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) shared a notice of Salmonella infections linked to mini pastries brand Sweet Cream.

The pastries were distributed to bakeries, hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, hospitals, retirement residences and catered events in Alberta, B.C., Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, and possibly other provinces and territories.

PHAC says there are 61 lab-confirmed cases of Salmonella illnesses linked to this outbreak in Alberta (2), B.C. (4), Ontario (21), Quebec (33) and New Brunswick (1). A recall notice for affected Sweet Cream products was issued on Saturday.

“People became sick between late September 2024 and mid-December 2024. Of the cases reported, 17 people have been hospitalized and there are no deaths,” reads the notice.

The people who became sick were between three and 88 years old and reported eating the mini pastries at catered events or other establishments where they were served.

The CFIA did not link the egg recall to the pastry recall; however, many prepared foods have previously been recalled due to their base ingredients being recalled.

For example, after metal pieces were found in a Sifto salt, multiple breads and granola bars were removed from shelves due to possible contamination.

How to avoid Salmonella amid egg recall

While it’s unclear if the Salmonella outbreak in those pastries is linked with the egg recall, it doesn’t hurt to be cautious when ingesting food containing eggs.

Thankfully, Health Canada has tips and tricks to prevent food poisoning.

According to the agency, while most bacteria, including Salmonella, are found on the shell itself, they can sometimes get inside an egg or be inside an egg when it’s laid.

So, when shopping, the agency advises choosing refrigerated eggs with clean, uncracked shells. You should also pick up eggs and other cold foods at the end of your shopping trip so they stay cold.

Health Canada recommends that Canadians buy graded eggs, which are subject to high food safety standards. Eggs sold at farms or farmers’ markets may be ungraded.

“Ungraded eggs can be unclean, cracked, washed improperly, stored unrefrigerated, or sold in packaging that has not been disinfected,” reads the Health Canada site. “As such, there is a higher chance for them to be contaminated by harmful bacteria such as Salmonella.”

If you’re unsure whether the eggs have been graded, look for a maple leaf symbol on the carton or ask the vendor.

When it comes to storing eggs, the agency advises Canadians to keep them cold and refrigerated for as long as they can before eating them.

“If you have eggs in your lunch (such as egg salad sandwiches), make sure to include a frozen icepack to keep them cold,” reads the site.

After handling eggs, Health Canada recommends thoroughly washing hands, all utensils, countertops, and cutting boards with warm water and soap.

We has asked the CFIA if the recall of egg and mini pastries could be linked and whether Canadians can expect more recalls of products containing eggs. We will update this story when it responds.