USDA Inspectors at Wright County Egg Failed to Report Unsanitary Conditions to the FDA

Posted on September 10, 2010 by PritzkerLaw

Egg inspectionUSDA egg graders were at Wright County Egg facilities (the egg recall company) and wrote daily sanitation reports. Reporters at the Wall Street Journal went through these reports and discovered that, as conditions at egg plant packing facilities became unsatisfactory, the USDA workers did not report the problems to the FDA, the regulatory body for food safety issues in commercial egg production. 

This is disturbing, but what is even more disturbing is the following quote from the Wall Street Journal article:

The USDA said it didn't give notice because "the conditions at the egg plant packing facilities were routine."

Does this mean that bugs, overflowing trash, and egg residue on equipment that can cross contaminate is routine for the egg industry or just Wright County Egg?

I, for one, would be willing to pay more for eggs if I could get a guarantee that the hen house, egg packing plant and all facilities were clean. I might even pay more for eggs if I just could be assured that manure was not allowed to pile up and that dead chickens, mice and bugs were promptly removed, something that was not being done at Wright County Egg, according to the August FDA inspection report and an article in the Des Moines Register.

For the 1500-plus people who were sickened in the egg Salmonella outbreak, there was no guarantee of cleanliness. Instead, they ate eggs produced by a company that let manure piles rise to 8 feet. Contact our law firm for egg lawsuit information.

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Salmonella enteritidis Sickens Hundreds in California

Posted on August 18, 2010 by PritzkerLaw

Salmonella enteritidis, an egg-associated bacterium, can be undetectable by sight or smell. The Salmonella enteritidis can be present in ordinary-looking eggs. If contaminated eggs are eaten raw, or even undercooked, the bacterium can cause illness.
 

The symptoms of a Salmonella enteritidis bacterium infection are fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. The symptoms usually begin 12 to 72 hours after consuming a contaminated food or beverage and the illness can last 4 to 7 days. Although most people recover without the use of  antibiotics, if the diarrhea is severe and leads to dehydration hospitalization may be required.

As in most cases of food contamination, the elderly, infants and those with impaired immune systems are the most susceptible to severe illness. In patients with underdeveloped or impaired immune systems, the infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream. Once in the blood stream the Salmonella enteritidis can infect other parts of the body and can be fatal unless treated promptly with antibiotics.

Salmonella enteritidis: Reduce the Risk

Eggs are safe when handled properly.  "Handled properly" has to do mostly with refrigeration and cooking. All shell eggs should be stored in the refrigerator. When consumed, the eggs need to be cooked and eaten right away.

When eggs are kept refrigerated properly, it prevents the Salmonella enteritidis from multiplying. The correct refrigeration temperature for safe storage of eggs is less than 40 degrees.

The fewer number of Salmonella present in the egg, the less likely it is to cause illness. Cooking reduces the number of bacteria present in an egg. That is why it is important to completely cook eggs - runny yolks are not recommended. Throw out any eggs that have been kept at 40-140 degrees for more than 2 hours.

Salmonella enteritidis: Recall on Eggs in California and Many More States

As many as 228 million (228,000,000) shell eggs from Wright County Egg, Galt Iowa, that have been recalled due to possible Salmonella enteritidis contamination. The recalled eggs are packaged under the following brand names: Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps.

The Wright County Egg  shell eggs were delivered to wholesalers, distribution centers and food service companies in California, Illinois, Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. California, Colorado, Nevada and Minnesota have Salmonella enteritidis outbreaks that have been confirmed by public health officials.

Contact a Salmonella lawyer at PritzkerOlsen, P.A. for a free consultation and for information about a possible Wright County Egg Salmonella class action lawsuit. We are conducting our own investigation into this Salmonella outbreak. Call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this web page.
 
PritzkerOlsen, P.A. is a premier foodborne illness litigation law firm.  We have collected millions on behalf of our clients infected with Salmonella, E. coli 0157:H7 and other foodborne diseases. Our attorneys have been interviewed by local TV stations, CNN, CBS News, Fox News, Associated Press and others.

States Included in the Recall: California, Illinois, Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa

States with Confirmed Outbreaks: California, Colorado, Nevada and Minnesota
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Wright County Egg Salmonella Recall

Posted on August 18, 2010 by PritzkerLaw

The Wright County Egg Salmonella recall is estimated by The Associated Press to cover some 228 million eggs distributed nationwide since May 19, 2010.

A joint field investigation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is ongoing and intended to identify potential sources of Salmonella Enteritidis in these shell eggs, such as feed.

Public health officials in California, Colorado and Minnesota have confirmed outbreaks of Salmonella Enteritidis traced back to Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa. The number of cases in California alone is 266, including 43 in Los Angeles County.

This has the makings of a large nationwide outbreak as the following states also are investigating human Salmonella Enteritidis infections: Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas. 
Since May 2010, CDC has identified a nationwide, four-fold increase in the number of Salmonella Enteritidis isolates through PulseNet, the molecular subtyping network made up of state and local public health laboratories and federal food regulatory laboratories. CDC received reports of approximately 200 cases every week during late June and early July compared to an average of 50 per week in that time period over the past five years. 
Many clusters of illnesses associated with this egg Salmonella outbreak occurred at restaurants or social gatherings and law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A. is conducting its own investigation. To contact a Salmonella lawyer at our firm for a free case consultation and for information about a possible Wright County Egg Salmonella lawsuit, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.
 
PritzkerOlsen, P.A. is a leading practitioner of foodborne illness litigation and has a record of winning lawsuits for victims of food poisoning victims. Over the years we have collected millions for survivors of Salmonella, E. coli 0157:H7 and other foodborne diseases.
 
Notice to Consumers:
 
Shell eggs included in the Wright County Egg Salmonella Recall are packaged under the following brand names: Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps.
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Salmonella Egg Outbreak CO CA MN

Posted on August 17, 2010 by PritzkerLaw

Like Minnesota, health officials in Colorado and California have traced Salmonella outbreaks to the same Iowa egg farm doing business as Wright County Egg.

The CO, CA and MN Salmonella egg outbreaks are under investigation now by state and federal health investigators, including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

According to an Aug 4 Jefferson County Colorado Public Health statement, 28 people who ate at a locally owned restaurant called The Fort between July 10 and July 16 got sick. Salmonella Enteritidis was confirmed in 8 of the cases and suspected in 20. 
 
Dr Shaun Cosgrove, an epidemiologist with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, told CIDRAP News that discussions at a food safety conference in Anaheim, coupled with investigations, led to a finding that all egg products with links to clusters of illnesses in Colorado, California and Minesota came from the same farm in Iowa.
 
Minnesota officials have confirmed seven Salmonella Enteritidis illnesses matching the outbreak strain and they suspect many more. The seven confirmed Minnesota Salmonella egg cases were related to two restaurant outbreaks in May and June.
 
There are signs the outbreak could be nationwide. CIDRAP cited a CDC statement that said the CDC, FDA, and the US Department of Agriculture are investigating a fourfold national increase in the number of Salmonella Enteritidis isolates with the same pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern.
 
In June and July about 200 isolates with the same genetic fingerprint were submitted, compared with about 50 monthly uploads usually seen over the past 5 years. The CDC said many states have reported increases in the pattern since May. 
A person infected with the Salmonella Enteritidis bacterium usually has fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea beginning 12 to 72 hours after consuming a contaminated food or beverage. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most persons recover without antibiotic treatment. However, the diarrhea can be severe, and the person may be ill enough to require hospitalization. 
Salmonella deaths occur every year. Most at risk are young children, older adults and others who have weakened or under-developed immune systems.
 
If you or a loved one has fallen ill after eating eggs, see a physician immediately for care and a stool culture. For answers to legal questions about a possible Salmonella egg lawsuit, call law firm Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.
 
Our firm has launched its own investigation and is providing free case consultations to victims. As a leading practitioner of foodborne illness litigation, we have collected millions for victims of food poisoning.
 
Salmonella Egg Recall Information: 
 
Wright County Egg said the eggs affected by this recall were distributed to food wholesalers, distribution centers and foodservice companies in California, Illinois, Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. These companies distribute nationwide. 
 
Eggs from Wright County Egg are packaged under the following brand names: Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps.
 
Recalled eggs are packed in varying sizes of cartons (6-egg cartons, dozen egg cartons, 18-egg cartons) with Julian dates ranging from 136 to 225 and plant numbers 1026, 1413 and 1946. Dates and codes can be found stamped on the end of the egg carton. The plant number begins with the letter P and then the number. The Julian date follows the plant number, for example: P-1946 223. 
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