Two Iowa Producers Announce Recalls as Illnesses Increase
August 27, 2010 — In a series of recalls starting August 13th, two Egg producers in Iowa have recalled over 500 million eggs that could potentially be contaminated with salmonella. Product from Wright County Egg Farms and Hillandale Farms are the focus of the recall. According to an investigation by state and federal epidemiologists, contaminated eggs have caused as many as 1,200 cases of intestinal illness in 10 states–a number that will likely increase as previous cases come to the attention of authorities and new infections occur.
Sale of fresh eggs from Wright County Egg has stopped during the investigation. Tests of the company’s hen houses and eggs, which are produced in the Iowa towns of Galt and Clarion, have yet to be completed according to a Food and Drug Administration official.
Wright County Egg Not New to Violations
The DeCoster family, which owns Wright County Egg, has a long history of fines, reprimands and complaints stemming from several states. DeCoster’s farms have been cited for OSHA violations, state environmental violations, undocumented workers and other labor law violations.
Identifying Recalled Eggs – A Consumer Guide
For the general public, identifying if your eggs are part of the recall can be a significant challenge–especially since Wright County Eggs are sold under numerous brand names in stores across the US. In an effort to help consumers, we have created a How to Identify Your Eggs Guide.
Consumers that develop symptoms of salmonella after eating eggs should contact both their doctor and the CDC to document their incident, including the brand, plant number and Julian date on the egg carton.
