Mr. Austin J. DeCoster, owner of Quality Egg LLC of Galt, Iowa received a warning letter from the FDA, dated 15th October, 2010 in which it states that failure to take prompt corrective action may result in further action without prior notice, which may include seizure or injunction.

In another letter to Hillandale Farms, the FDA says that after performing inspections and reviewing the farms corrective actions “the FDA does not object to your resumption of shell egg production for the table market at these West Union houses at this time”, meaning the farm can start shipping shell eggs again.

Background information on Salmonella tainted shell egg recalls

Since May this year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had identified a four-fold increase in the number of SE (Salmonella Enteriditis) isolates through PulseNet, the national subtyping network consisting of state and federal food regulatory laboratories. 200 SE cases were being reported to the CDC each week by late June early July, compared to an average of about 50 per week.

Several restaurants or events with people becoming ill with SE infection were reported in Colorado, California and Minnesota. Investigators believed the likely source were shell eggs.

FDA and CDC scientists, as well as state authority employees managed eventually to trace the shell eggs back to a single company – Wright County Egg (owned by Quality Egg LLC of Galt, Iowa).

White County Egg conducted a nationwide voluntary recall of shell eggs on August 13th, eggs that it had shipped since May 19th that year to 22 US states and Mexico. From the 22 US states the 380 million eggs were distributed throughout the whole of the USA.

On August 19th Hillandale Farms of Iowa recalled its shell egg that had gone to wholesalers, distributors and retail outlets in 14 states, which from there were also distributed throughout the whole country. By then, over 500 million eggs were being recalled.

Subsequent inspections of Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms revealed horrendous hygiene conditions, with huge chicken manure heaps, live rodents, and wild birds within the hen houses of two farms. Inspectors described the condition as “..disgusting, stomach churning, repulsive, and shocking”.

The initial FDA inspection found:

  • Chicken manure piles 8 foot high. Pushing outside pit doors open was impossible in some cases because manure piles were in the way.
  • Caged chickens in physical contact with uncaged ones that had trodden on manure piles.
  • Live flies, dead flies and dead maggots. Too many to count.
  • Rodents running around the hen houses.
  • Wild birds, including pigeons and their feathers in the hen houses.
  • Rodent holes which had been unsealed for a long time.
  • Liquid manure seeping through a concrete foundation.

(Link to article describing findings of initial inspection.)

Situation now

It appears, according to information on the FDA website, that Hillandale Farms has responded adequately to FDA’s demands, and now has the green light to start selling and distributing shell eggs again, but Quality Egg LLC of Galt, Iowa (Wright County Egg) has been given an ultimatum.

What is Salmonella?

Salmonella is the name of the bacterium, Salmonellosis is a bacterial disease of the intestinal tract (gut) caused by Salmonella, which belongs to a group of bacteria that cause food poisoning, gastroenteritis, enteric fever, typhoid fever and other illnesses.

Human infection usually occurs through infected water or foods, especially eggs, poultry and meat.

Salmonella looks like a rod, hence its Latin description “bacilli” (baculum means “rod” in Latin, the plural form is “bacilli”).

According to the CDC over 1,400 individuals became ill with salmonellosis this year as a result of eating tainted eggs – the largest outbreak in the USA since the early 1970s. The FDA’s warning letter to Quality Egg LLC can be found here.

Source: FDA

Written by Christian Nordqvist