Monday, August 23, 2010
Egg panic
Another day, another panic.
The national media have given out an ever-increasing set of 'plant codes' that indicate the bad eggs. I looked at the last package of eggs I bought. It has the Lucerne brand, which is supposedly among the brands from the bad Iowa plant. The number on the end of the box isn't among the set of bad codes, but it doesn't resemble the pattern that the media gave. Supposedly the plant codes have a pattern like P1939, but the only number on the end of this package is 205D. Is this a different kind of code? Is the bad code hiding elsewhere? Nothing in the news stories answers this question.
I got the answer the next time I went to Safeway. The store has lots of big signs telling customers that the Wash state Safeway stores get their eggs from in-state sources, not from the bad Iowa plant.
Okay, so no problem here. I trust Safeway because I've seen them yank food from the shelves in previous recalls of other products. When it's bad they pull it; when it's good they sell it.
But why don't we get this info from the local media? Supposedly the whole point of having newspapers and TV stations is that the media have the time, expertise and authority to find out what's happening.
None of the local media bothered to do this; they'd rather spread a panic about food that is not sold here. Their actual job is to spread lies and panic, not to inform the citizen.
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CORRECTION!
As of noon 8/23, KREM-TV has finally done the right thing, talking to local grocers and picking up local information.
Bravo KREM! ¶ 8:11 AM
The national media have given out an ever-increasing set of 'plant codes' that indicate the bad eggs. I looked at the last package of eggs I bought. It has the Lucerne brand, which is supposedly among the brands from the bad Iowa plant. The number on the end of the box isn't among the set of bad codes, but it doesn't resemble the pattern that the media gave. Supposedly the plant codes have a pattern like P1939, but the only number on the end of this package is 205D. Is this a different kind of code? Is the bad code hiding elsewhere? Nothing in the news stories answers this question.
I got the answer the next time I went to Safeway. The store has lots of big signs telling customers that the Wash state Safeway stores get their eggs from in-state sources, not from the bad Iowa plant.
Okay, so no problem here. I trust Safeway because I've seen them yank food from the shelves in previous recalls of other products. When it's bad they pull it; when it's good they sell it.
But why don't we get this info from the local media? Supposedly the whole point of having newspapers and TV stations is that the media have the time, expertise and authority to find out what's happening.
None of the local media bothered to do this; they'd rather spread a panic about food that is not sold here. Their actual job is to spread lies and panic, not to inform the citizen.
= = = = =
CORRECTION!
As of noon 8/23, KREM-TV has finally done the right thing, talking to local grocers and picking up local information.
According to the Spokane Regional Health District, they have treated 7 confirmed cases of salmonella illnesses related to eggs since January 1. SRHD officials say that number is about average, or perhaps one or two more than normal. It is unknown whether the illnesses were caused by eggs eaten in restaurants or at home.
KREM 2 News spoke with several grocery stores, and most managers confirmed either none of the contaminated eggs were sold in their stores, or they do not carry the eggs that have been recalled.
Bravo KREM! ¶ 8:11 AM
