Sunday, September 05, 2010
Inspectors working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture have come under scrutiny for not doing more to prevent the outbreak of salmonella at two Iowa egg processors that sold hundreds of millions of tainted eggs to stores and restaurants.
The Associated Press reported that two former workers at one of the egg farms told USDA inspectors about health concerns at the site, but were ignored. The two former workers of Wright County Egg facilities said they reported problems involving leaking manure and the presence of dead chickens. A USDA spokesman said the inspector at the Wright facility did not recall anyone raising concerns, and added that the inspectors’ job was to check eggs, not the surrounding farm. Inspectors spent 40 hours a week at Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms.
However, USA Today reported that USDA regulations require buildings and “outside premises” to be free of conditions that harbor vermin.
Furthermore, officials from the Food and Drug Administration documented filthy conditions in and around barns where chickens laid eggs at the two Iowa companies.
Some observers have suggested that the USDA egg inspectors spent so much time with the companies that they lost sight of the fact that they are really working for American consumers.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Food Safety Groups Slam USDA Egg Graders at Farms in Recall (by Alison Young, USA Today)
Former Egg Farm Employees Say Their Complaints Were Ignored: Report (by Amanda Gardner, HealthDay)
Prior to Massive Egg Recall, FDA Refused to Mandate Vaccinating Hens (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
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