tagged w/ Egg Recall
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Another massive egg recall, another tie to scofflaw Jack DeCoster.
Nearly 300,000 eggs have been recalled, affecting eight states, after Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. got word on Friday from the FDA that eggs from one of its suppliers, Ohio Fresh Eggs, tested positive for Salmonella Enteritidis (SE). Cal-Maine processed and packaged 24,000 dozen eggs in its Green Forest, Arkansas facility under the Sunny Meadow, Springfield Grocer, Sun Valley and James Farm labels.
Cartons bearing plant number P1457 with Julian dates of 282, 284 and 285 are being recalled. The Julian date follows the plant number, for example: P1457-282.
The eggs involved, which were not produced from Cal-Maine flocks, were distributed to food wholesalers and retailers in Arkansas, California, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. There have been no confirmed SE illnesses related to the purchased eggs, reports Cal-Maine.
The FDA released the information this morning, three days after notifying Cal-Maine.
According to the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Jack DeCoster invested in Ohio Fresh Eggs, reported The Iowa Independent:
READ MORE: http://globalpoliticalawakening.blogspot.com/2010/11/jack-decosters-salmonella-touch-another.htmlAnother massive egg recall, another tie to scofflaw Jack DeCoster.
Nearly 300,000... more
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Food and Drug Administration investigators have found rodents, seeping manure and even maggots at the Iowa egg farms believed to be responsible for as many as 1,500 cases of salmonella poisoning.
FDA officials released their initial observations of the investigations at Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms on Monday. The two farms recalled more than half a billion eggs after salmonella illnesses were linked to their products earlier this month.
The reports released by the FDA show many different possible sources of contamination at both farms, including rodent, bug and wild bird infestation, uncontained manure, holes in walls and other problems that could have caused the outbreak. Several positive samples of salmonella have been found at both farms.
The agency released the initial observations as their investigations concluded Monday. Officials said they still cannot speculate on the cause of the outbreak but said the farms not only violated their own standards but also new egg rules put in place this summer.
Among the observations of the investigators:
• Live rodents and mice at both farms;
• Structural damage and holes in many locations at both farms, allowing wildlife access;
• Escaped chickens tracking manure through the houses;
• Employees not changing clothing properly when moving from one location to another and not sanitizing equipment properly;
• "Live flies too numerous to count" on egg belts, in the feed, on the eggs themselves at Wright County Egg;
• Dead and live maggots "too numerous to count" on the manure pit floor in one location at Wright County Egg;
• Manure piled four to eight feet high in five locations at Wright County Egg, leaning against and pushing open doors that allowed wildlife to enter the laying houses;
• Nonchicken feathers in a laying house and wild birds flying in and out of two facilities at Wright County Egg;
• Manure seeping through the foundation to the outside of laying houses in 13 locations at Wright County Egg;
• Rusted holes in feed bins and birds flying over the feed bins at Wright County Egg;
Animal feces and access to wildlife are normally the main concern of investigators looking for causes of an outbreak, as illnesses such as salmonella originate from feces. Michael Taylor, the FDA's deputy commissioner for foods, said in a briefing for reporters Monday that the agency cannot say how these conditions compare to other egg farms around the country but he believes they are "significant deviations from what is expected."
The agency has not traditionally inspected egg farms until there has been a problem. But the FDA will now inspect all of the nation's largest farms by the end of next year, the Obama administration announced last week.Food and Drug Administration investigators have found rodents, seeping manure and even... more
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Since news first broke about the massive egg recall, eggs seem to be all folks are talking about. The big questions are: how did this salmonella contamination happen, and what can we do about it?
http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2010/08/26/thoughts-on-the-egg-recall/Since news first broke about the massive egg recall, eggs seem to be all folks are... more
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The recent recall of eggs suspected of causing salmonella has resulted in the recall of over half a billion eggs. The CDC began investigating the salmonella outbreak in May 2010, and have tracked the salmonella cases over the next few months, leading to the voluntary recall of eggs from Wright County Egg.
Some have suggested that this most recent recall is a sign that we need stricter food safety laws, pointing to the current system of voluntary compliance and legislation that ties the hands of the FDA. S.510, a bill that would give the FDA additional authority and resources over food safety, passed in the House one year ago but has been tied up in the Senate.
Others have suggested that we need to re-examine our entire food production system. Americans currently enjoy some of the cheapest food prices in history, partially as the result of intensive farming technqiues like concentrated animal feeding operations. Some suggest that salmonella outbreaks such as this are the price we pay for a $0.13 egg.
What about you? Do you think we need tougher food safety laws, or is it time to start re-examining the system of food production in the US?
The recent recall of eggs suspected of causing salmonella has resulted in the recall... more
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Two Iowa farms that together recalled more than half a billion potentially tainted eggs this month share close ties, including suppliers of chickens and feed.
Both farms are linked to businessman Austin "Jack" DeCoster, who has been cited for numerous health, safety and employment violations over the years. DeCoster owns Wright County Egg, the original farm that recalled 380 million eggs Aug. 13 after they were linked to more than 1,000 reported cases of salmonella poisoning.
Another of his companies, Quality Egg, supplies young chickens and feed to both Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms, the second farm that recalled another 170 million eggs a week later.
Jewanna Porter, a spokeswoman for the egg industry, said the two companies share other suppliers as well, but she did not name them.
The cause of the outbreaks is so far unknown, as Food and Drug Administration investigators are still on the ground at the farms trying to figure it out. The federal Centers for Disease Control has said the number of illnesses, estimated as high as 1,300, would likely grow.
DeCoster is no stranger to controversy in his food and farm operations:
• In 1997, DeCoster Egg Farms agreed to pay $2 million in fines to settle citations brought in 1996 for health and safety violations at DeCoster's farm in Turner, Maine. Then-Labor Secretary Robert Reich said conditions were "as dangerous and oppressive as any sweatshop." He cited unguarded machinery, electrical hazards, exposure to harmful bacteria and other unsanitary conditions.
• In 2000, Iowa designated DeCoster a "habitual violator" of environmental regulations for problems that included hog manure runoff into waterways. The label made him subject to increased penalties and prohibited him from building new farms.
• In 2002, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced a more than $1.5 million settlement of an employment discrimination lawsuit against DeCoster Farms on behalf of Mexican women who reported they were subjected to sexual harassment, including rape, abuse and retaliation by some supervisory workers at DeCoster's Wright County plants.
• In 2007, 51 workers were arrested during an immigration raid at six DeCoster egg farms. The farm had been the subject of at least three previous raids.
• In June 2010, Maine Contract Farming — the successor company to DeCoster Egg Farms — agreed in state court to pay $25,000 in penalties and to make a one-time payment of $100,000 to the Maine Department of Agriculture over animal cruelty allegations that were spurred by a hidden-camera investigation by an animal welfare organization.
It is unclear what role DeCoster's company played in the current salmonella outbreak. The FDA investigation could take months, and sources of contamination are often difficult to find. The current recall goes back to April, and many of the eggs have already been consumed.
There was no immediate comment Sunday from a spokeswoman for DeCoster.
Still, DeCoster's Wright County Egg is already facing at least two lawsuits related to the egg recall. One is from food distributor Dutch Farms, which says the company used unauthorized cartons to package and sell eggs under its brand without its knowledge.
The other is from a person who said they became ill after eating tainted eggs in a salad at a restaurant in Kenosha, Wis.
The CDC said investigations by 10 states since April have identified 26 cases where more than one person became ill. Preliminary information showed that Wright was the supplier in at least 15 of those.Two Iowa farms that together recalled more than half a billion potentially tainted... more
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Egg recall was issued by Wright County eggs, FDA has asked another egg farm to issue egg recall due to Salmonella contamination. First Wright County eggs recalled some 170 millionEgg recall was issued by Wright County eggs, FDA has asked another egg farm to issue... more
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This just shows the incomptency of the FDA and the need to outlaw factory farming. And the current bills in the Senate and Congress that are supposed to deal with this will give loopholes to factory farms because of profits. This is what you get when government and industry are joined at the hip and regulation is just a word. This is the BP gulf oil ecocide of farming. Incompetence and greed is killing the food system of this country.This just shows the incomptency of the FDA and the need to outlaw factory farming. And... more
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