The nationwide salmonella outbreak and recall tied to two Iowa egg farms has prompted government regulators and industry groups to improve safety standards and inspection problems. In August, Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms of Iowa recalled 550 million eggs after they were linked to salmonella illness dating to May. More than 1,500 of the reported illnesses were linked to the outbreak.
As a result of "of the outbreak, the Food and Drug Administration, which is primarily responsible for egg safety but has a limited force of inspectors, plans to train Agriculture Department personnel in how to catch potential problems at the egg farms and to conduct inspections." USDA personnel "grade eggs for quality and regularly inspect the farms' packing facilities. The henhouses, where salmonella contamination often originates, are the food agency's responsibility."
FDA now plans to "inspect every major farm in the nation" conducting about 600 inspections in the next 14 months. USDA and FDA have also set a deadline of Nov. 30 to "come up with a plan for training employees to spot food-safety problems."
The United Egg Producers is developing standards to help farms comply with FDA regulations and reassure consumers.
To read the Des Moines Register story, click here.
Posted: 10/29/2010
