SpringHouse has no worries about eggnog safety, despite state action
Consumers who purchased eggnog from the SpringHouse on Route 136, Eighty Four, should discard any remaining product because it may not have been pasteurized properly, according to a spokeswoman from the state Department of Agriculture.
Milk inspectors found the potential error during a routine inspection Dec. 8. The proper temperature of 180 degrees may not have been reached during the eggnog pasteurization process.
The eggnog was bottled in plain plastic half-gallon and pint containers. There are no dates or labels on the bottles.
The SpringHouse “has been cooperative in working with us to ensure consumer safety,” said Agriculture Secretary George Greig.
He asked those who purchased the product to discard it “as a precautionary measure.”
Marcia Minor Opp, who with her family owns the dairy farm business, said they’ve been consuming the nog without any ill effects. “I’m still drinking it,” she said Dec. 10.
Eggnog season runs from Nov. 10 until the new year. Last week’s batch ran out last Friday, and Monday, the SpringHouse was processing a new batch.
Opp said processing involves mixing a pasteurized egg “secret recipe” with pasteurized milk. The combined product is to be held at the required temperature for 15 seconds. White and chocolate milk flow quickly through the system, but, because of its richness, the eggnog moves more slowly.
“It’s so thick it takes a little longer to go through the pipes of the pasteurizer,” Opp said. “Every other product is perfect.” There was a question about whether the eggnog had stayed long enough at 180 degrees.
The SpringHouse prides itself in letting dairy customers know the milk it sells comes right from the herd of cows on the premises.
“We really feel like today’s American consumer wants to buy local. We feel like our customers are part of our family, and, of course, we want to produce an excellent product for them,” Opp said.
Agriculture officials are working with the Washington County dairy on its eggnog production process, and it advises consumers not drink any eggnog purchased from the SpringHouse until proper pasteurization can be assured. Opp said she was on the phone with the department for an hour the morning of Dec. 10. No other products were affected.
The Department of Agriculture referred consumers who want more information about food safety to visit www.EatSafePA.com.