All shell is breaking loose amid the nationwide egg shortage as some of the most popular liquid egg substitutes have been pulled from shelves.
More than 212,000 pounds pounds of liquid egg products — including the Egg Beaters and Bob Evans brands — have been recalled over a potential contamination of cleaning solution, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
The agency said the products could contain sodium hypochlorite, a chemical compound commonly used in bleach.
The recalled products include Egg Beaters Original Liquid Egg Substitute, Cage-Free Original Liquid Egg Substitute and Cage-Free Original Frozen Egg Substitute, as well as Bob Evans Better’n Eggs Liquid Substitute, all in 32-ounce cartons.
The affected items were produced on March 12 and 13 and most had use-by dates of Aug. 9 and 10 of this year, while the frozen Egg Beaters had a use-by date of March 7, 2026.
While the FSIS indicated that the products were shipped to Ohio and Texas, as well as “for food service use in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Iowa,” they may have been distributed nationwide.
The agency urged consumers and food service locations to throw away or return any affected products, while noting the risk of “adverse health consequences” was minimal.
“Although there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products, anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider,” the FSIS said in a statement.
First launched in 1972 as a healthy substitute for whole eggs, Egg Beaters (containing real egg whites, but no egg yolks) have grown in popularity amid skyrocketing egg prices due to a severe outbreak of avian flu.
The egg shortage has prompted some local New York City stores to sell “loosie eggs” — eggs sold individually or in small quantities, rather than in dozen cartons. In response to the rising cost, some savvy vendors have gone viral on social media for selling “bootleg eggs” on street corners.