FDA testing at an Iowa farm has brought about a massive recall of eggs. The reason for the recall is salmonella.
It involves a company called Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa, 380 million eggs, and four states. There are hints it could spread be spreading wider. But a scare of this kind has the potential to wreck an industry, so it’s important to proceed with caution.
The AP’s coverage of the story describes an outbreak that has not yet resulted in any deaths. The response already has expanded quickly:
“Other states have seen a jump in reports of the type of salmonella. For example, California has reported 266 illnesses since June and believes many are related to the eggs. Colorado saw 28 cases in June and July, about four times the usual number. Spikes or clusters of suspicious cases have also been reported in Arizona, Illinois, Nevada, North Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin.
“Salmonella is the most common bacterial form of food poisoning. And the strain involved in the outbreak is the most common strain of salmonella, accounting for roughly 20 percent of all salmonella food poisonings.
“Unfortunately, current lab tests do not allow health officials to fingerprint this form of salmonella as precisely as other kinds of food-borne illness. So determining the size of a salmonella enteritidis outbreak is a little more challenging … “
Wright County Egg responded with a news release that describes its full cooperation with the FDA. The release, which is posted on the FDA website, along with a contact number, lists the brand names affected.
The company’s owner, Jack DeCoster, has been under the FDA’s microscope and is a favorite target for animal rights groups. They recently celebrated when he was prosecuted by the state of Iowa on animal cruelty charges.
In a story about “megafarms,” the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News noted:
“Many Iowans have had enough of Jack DeCoster.
“State records show manure from DeCoster’s farms polluted Iowa’s water at least 10 times between 1993 and 2000. A 1997 manure spill into a well that drains into Wright County’s groundwater led to a $10,000 fine under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act — the first time the federal government fined a farm for breaking that law.
“DeCoster was ordered in 2000 to pay $150,000 to the state for environmental violations, and he was prohibited from putting up more animal farms until 2005.
“The ‘habitual violator’ label also subjects the farm to more severe penalties for future infractions.”
Any time salmonella is discussed, it gets people’s attention. In its coverage, The New York Times described the challenge the government faces:
The FDA’s new egg safety plan affects “egg producers having 50,000 or more laying hens — about 80 percent of production. Among other things, it requires them to adopt preventive measures and to use refrigeration during egg storage and transportation.”
The FDA warns:
LiveScience.com described how salmonella gets inside eggs in the first place.
Resources to further understand the issue are available from the American Egg Board and the Egg Safety Center.
