News reports covering the recent recall of more than half a billion eggs linked to are not painting an encouraging picture for consumer confidence in the federal and state regulatory agencies tasked with keeping Americans safe from foodborne illnesses.  In what appears to be a pervasive problem in many U.S. regulatory agencies, there is evidence of at best, a communication breakdown, at worst, outright incompetence.  Couple that with bureaucratic acrobatics and what you get is a recipe for disaster.  It is the Food and Drug Administration, that is tasked with monitoring the safety of food products shipped over state lines, and in the case of the recent egg recall, the safety of eggs themselves.  However, there are regulatory bodies at the state level as well who are responsible for food safety within their borders.

The Washington Post recently commented on one farmer’s dealings with these agencies and the interplay (to be generous) of the state and federal authorities.  Austin “Jack” DeCoster, the Iowa farmer who has been linked to the recent Salmonella contamination, was involved in a fight in the 1990’s over his egg farming operations.  After state authorities attempted to close down his farm for violating a quarantine by selling contaminated eggs, Mr. DeCoster was able to continue selling his eggs across state lines because of gaps in the food safety regulatory framework.  To further aggravate the situation, the Department of Agriculture, the body responsible the health issues of the hens in this case, did not get involved because the Salmonella didn’t actually make the hens sick, despite the serious problems that Salmonella enteritidis poisoning entails.  Considering all of this, how can we as consumers feel confident that those charged with keeping families safe from Salmonella enteritidis and other foodborne illnesses are doing their job, when all evidence points to the contrary?

Senator Amy Klobuchar is fighting for food safety. Klobuchar is the original sponsor of the 2009 Food Safety and Modernization Act. Given the current Salmonella enteritidis outbreak and the illnesses that have resulted, she has once again rallied the cry for food safety. This Democrat from Minnesota issued a statement in 2009 reemphasizing the need for the improved Food Safety legislation. In her statement Klobuchar declared that:

“The first responsibility of government is to protect its citizens. This massive recall is just another example of the broken system that continues to allow contaminated food to make it to our store shelves. We must act quickly to strengthen our food safety system and protect the public from future harm.”

In the wake of the current Salmonella enteritidis outbreak, we thought it would be interesting to view Klobuchar’s summary of proposed 2009 Food Safety Modernization Act which was posted on her website in 2009.

According to Klobuchar’s website:

1. Improves Our Capacity to Prevent Food Safety Problems
   •    Hazard analysis and preventive controls: Requires all facilities to have in place  preventive plans to address identified hazards and prevent adulteration, and gives FDA  access to these plans and relevant documentation.
   •    Access to records: Expands FDA access to records in a food emergency.
   •    Third party labs and audits: Allows FDA to recognize laboratory accreditation bodies to  ensure U.S. food testing labs meet high quality standards and requires food testing  performed by these labs to be reported to FDA. Allows FDA to enable qualified 3rd  parties to certify that foreign food facilities comply with U.S. food safety standards.
   •    Imports: Requires importers to verify the safety of foreign suppliers and imported food.
2. Allows FDA to require certification for high-risk foods, and to deny entry to a food that lacks certification or that is from a foreign facility that has refused U.S. inspectors.
3. Improves Our Capacity to Detect and Respond to Food-borne Illness Outbreaks
   •    Inspection – Increases FDA inspections at all food facilities, including annual inspections of high-risk facilities and inspections of other facilities at least once every four years.
   •    Surveillance –- Enhances food-borne illness surveillance systems to improve the collection, analysis, reporting, and usefulness of data on food-borne illnesses.
   •    Traceability – Requires the Secretary of HHS to establish a pilot project to test and evaluate new methods for rapidly and effectively tracking/tracing fruits and vegetables in the event of a food-borne illness outbreak.
   •    Mandatory Recall – Gives FDA the authority to order a mandatory recall of a food  product when a company fails to voluntarily recall the product upon FDA’s request.
   •    Suspension of Registration – Empowers FDA to suspend a food facility’s registration if  there is a reasonable probability that food from the facility will cause serious adverse  health consequences or death.
4. Enhances U.S. Food Defense Capabilities – Directs FDA to help food companies protect their products from intentional contamination and calls for a national strategy to protect our food supply from terrorist threats and rapidly respond to food emergencies.
5. Increases FDA Resources – Increases funding for FDA’s food safety activities through increased appropriations and targeted fees for domestic and foreign facilities.

One can only wonder if this bill had been passed earlier if it would have prevented the current Salmonella enteritidis outbreak and resulting foodborne illnesses. As we learn more about the causes of the current outbreak and analyze the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009, we will better understand whether or not this bill should be restructured or if it would have adequately prevented today’s egg recall and Salmonella food poisonings.

Today it was announced that the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee will hold a hearing into the current Salmonella enteritidis outbreaks. This foodborne illness related hearing will be held on September 14, 2010. Both Orlando Bethel of Hillandale Farms and Austin “Jack” DeCoster of Iowa’s Wright County Egg have been invited to testify at these hearings. 

The hearings are just part of an investigation being conducted into the Salmonella enteritidis foodborne illness outbreak and the potentially related egg recalls by this Congressional Committee, the Agriculture Department, and the Food and Drug Administration.

The Salmonella enteritidis outbreak has caused consumers to heap criticism upon lawmakers and federal regulatory agencies including the United States Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration regarding current regulatory tactics. Hopefully, the investigations will provide insight into why this Salmonella outbreak occurred and assist lawmakers in creating better food safety legislation. This information should also provide food producers and manufacturers with insight into how to more effectively and safely produce commodities and food products. Manufacturers always bear the ultimate burden in the fight against foodborne illness.

Salmonella is a very confusing bacteria. Every time a new Salmonella outbreak emerges, it is normally associated with a differing form of Salmonella bacteria. This week’s Salmonella strain of importance is Salmonella enteritidis. However, Salmonella enteritidis is only one form of Salmonella bacteria.

Three main strains of Salmonella bacteria include Enteritidis, Typhi, and Typhirium. Let’s take a look at each.

Salmonella Enteritidis:

            This form of Salmonella is all over the news. Daily we receive updates about this serotype of Salmonella. Salmonella enteritidis is sometimes referred to as egg-linked or egg-related Salmonella. This form of Salmonella causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and the bacteria, in rare instances, can move from the intestines into the bloodstream necessitating antibiotic treatment. Salmonella enteritidis bacteria can be found on the outside of the egg or on the inside of an egg. On the outside of the egg, the bacteria is normally associated with fecal matter found on the egg shell. Currently, the eggs associated with the current Salmonella recall are being broken and pasteurized in order to prevent further Salmonella enteritidis foodborne illness cases.

Salmonella Typhi

            Samonella typhi causes typhoid fever. A recent outbreak of Typhoid fever in California and Nevada. These Salmonella related food poisonings can cause fever, constipation, lethargy, headache, chills, and muscle aches. Typhoid fever can be fatal. There is a possibility that the most recent Salmonella outbreak is linked to two different brands of frozen mamey pulp which were recently recalled. The investigation is still ongoing.

Salmonella Typhimurium

            This form of Salmonella results in symptoms similar to that of Salmonella Enteritidis. It has previously been linked to pet frogs and peanut butter. Diarrhea, nausea, and fever can result. Also, this form of Salmonella bacteria can also leave the intestinal track, enter the bloodstream and cause severe infections likely requiring hospitalization.

Every time a consumer walks up to the cold storage section of their grocery store to purchase a dozen eggs, the same thought runs through their mind. Are these eggs safe? Are they free of Salmonella enteritidis? If I feed these eggs to my family, will someone be exposed to Salmonella bacteria?

 Given the recall of 550 million eggs, implemented to prevent Salmonella food poisoning, and the growing number of firms associated with this recall, these are all very valid questions. But how and why did the recall begin?

 In May of this year, according to an FDA informational website,  the

 “CDC has identified a nationwide, four-fold increase in the number of SE isolates through PulseNet, the national subtyping network made up of state and local public health laboratories and federal food regulatory laboratories. CDC received reports of approximately 200 SE cases every week during late June and early July. Normally, CDC has received an average of some 50 reports of SE illness each week for the past five years. Many states have also reported increases of this pattern since May 2010.”  

Investigations conducted by the CDC, the FDA, and state and local health departments determined that multiple Salmonella enteritidis illnesses were reported at restaurants and gatherings n the states of California, Colorado, and Minnesota. At first, it appeared that in-shell eggs might be the culprit in these Salmonella investigations.

Then, investigation efforts turned to finding where the Salmonella tainted eggs originated.

FDA, CDC, and state partners conducted a traceback investigation and found many of these restaurants or events received shell eggs from a single firm, Wright County Egg, in Galt, Iowa. FDA is currently conducting an extensive investigation at the firm in Iowa. The investigation involves sampling, records review and looking for potential sources of contamination, such as feed. As the investigation continues, updates will be made available.

As they say, the rest is history. Since that time, multiple egg recalls have been posted due to Salmonella enteritidis concerns. Grocery stores and refrigerators have been searched to determine if Salmonella contaminated eggs are present. Multiple victims have contracted Salmonella food poisoning. The worst part is that the final count on recalls and Salmonella related illnesses is not in yet.

The on-going Salmonella enteritidis egg recall is being analyzed from multiple angles. Questions are being asked of egg farms, egg hatcheries, egg producers, and egg distributors. The Food and Drug Administration is under fire for lacking a sufficient number of inspectors to prevent this outbreak or identify it sooner. The FDA has also received criticism for what the public believes to be laxed standards regarding poultry operations. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is being blamed for not producing Salmonella related outbreak information quickly enough. While academics, animal rights groups, attorneys, and consumers all attempt to simultaneously weigh in on what could have prevented this outbreak, things begin to get a little confusing.

One issue however, seems to have been resolved when Margaret Hamburg, the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration stated “there is no question that these farms that are involved in the recall were not operating with the standards of practice that we consider responsible.” In this quote posted on The New York Times website, the Commissioner is acknowledging that something went wrong. While the farms counter the Commissioner’s statements using evidence of proper protocol, others have begun to weigh in on this debate.

On July 9, 2010, the Food and Drug Administration implemented the Egg Safety Final Rule. This plan was designed to reduce the number of Salmonella enteritidis cases per year and hopefully eliminate deaths associated with these Salmonella food poisoning cases. However, the Salmonella outbreak, from CDC data appears to have begun in May of 2010.

Looking backward is no more than wishful thinking at this point. There is a Salmonella enteritidis outbreak and people have gotten sick, more will also likely follow. The spike in Salmonella cases reported by the CDC began in May of 2010, almost a month before these rules went into effect. Whether or not these safety procedures would have prevented the spread of the Salmonella bacteria had they been properly implemented is a good question. Over the course of the next several weeks, it will be important to examine if these rules were followed after they were implemented. It will also be important to determine if these rules would have been enough to stop the outbreak. Sadly, it will not be soon enough for victims suffering as a result of this outbreak.

The latest foodborne illnesses scare has been the recent outbreak of Salmonella connected to eggs. Salmonella is the leading cause of food poisoning in the United States. Nation-wide news coverage of the outbreak has many people questioning what type of eggs, if any they should eat. Since the salmonella outbreak, statistics show that the sale of organic and free –range eggs has increased. For many people, spending that extra money on these organic and free -range eggs is well worth it, if it means avoiding food poison. But are people who eat only organic and free-range eggs completely safe? Are organic and free-range eggs immune from the Salmonella bacterium?

            The answer is no. Organic and free-range eggs still have possibility of being contaminated with Salmonella. Michele Jay-Russell, a food safety specialist at the University of California, Davis stated that, “ If you have chickens outside, in a backyard or on a pasture, you have risk there that they’re going to come across wildlife and feces and potentially become infected.”

            It is correct that organic and free-range eggs come from hens that are raised in somewhat better conditions than huge factory farmed eggs, but the hens are still outside and still exposed to the elements. Studies, recently conducted but the USDA, show that organic and free-range eggs are not any less prone to Salmonella. Additionally, the Food Safety and Inspection Service has recently reported that it is unaware of any scientific information that proves any specific type of chicken has more or less salmonella bacteria than the other. The truth of the matter is that any egg, whether factory farmed, organic, or free-range can contain Salmonella bacteria.

Salmonella comes in many different forms. There are many different serotypes of Salmonella bacteria. Previously, our blog has reported on Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella braenderup, Salmonella typhi (linked to Typhoid fever), Salmonella Baildon, and many, many others. Today, we wanted to summarize all of the current Salmonella recalls and take a short trip down memory lane to examine some of the past Salmonella recalls which have made us a little more cautious of what we eat.

Current Salmonella Related Recalls:

1. Salmonella enteritidis has been linked to foodborne illness cases in several states. Although the food poisoning investigation is still underway, it appears that eggs maybe the culprit. Voluntary or precautionary recalls have been instituted by Wright County Egg, Hillandale Farms, NuCal, Cal-Maine, and several other egg related businesses.
2. Voluntary recalls of two different brands of Pistachios have been recalled because of Salmonella concerns.
3. New York has announced a recall of Alfalfa Sprouts because of Salmonella concerns.
4. Two companies have recalled frozen mamey pulp due to possible contamination with Salmonella Typhi. Salmonella Typhi causes typhoid fever, an illness which can be fatal if not properly treated.

Salmonella Outbreaks of the Past

1. 2009
   1. Salmonella Newport in beef products
   2. Salmonella in Peanut Butter – Nine deaths and over 20,000 became ill
2. 2008
   1. Salmonella Saintpaul sickened over 1400 individuals throughout the United States
3. 2007
   1. Salmonella found in pot pies – 152 food poisoning cases
   2. Salmonella in peanut butter
   3. Salmonella found in spinach

These are only a few examples of Salmonella related foodborne illness outbreaks which have occurred over the course of the last few years. The outbreaks and illnesses stretch back much farther and have been related to a variety of food items. Some salmonella cases have resulted in illnesses. Some Salmonella illnesses have resulted in death. In the fight against foodborne illness, knowledge can be a powerful tool, but manufacturers must prevent the spread of bacteria and ensure that consumers receive safe, wholesome food products. Food safety is essential.

The following statement was released by officials of Trafficanda Egg Ranch regarding the voluntary recall of shell eggs supplied from Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa and distributed by Trafficanda Egg Ranch.

Trafficanda Egg Ranch is voluntarily recalling specific Julian dates of Medium, Large, X Large, and Jumbo Cartons; 5 Dozen Medium Over Wrap and 20 Count Over Wrap of shell eggs produced by Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.  Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.  Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.  In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocardiditis or arthritis.

Eggs affected by this recall were distributed to grocery stores and foodservice companies in California. The affected eggs were packaged under the Trafficanda Egg Ranch brand names packaged in 12-egg cartons, 20-egg over wrap, and 5 dozen over wrap with the Julian dates ranging from 136 to 229 and plant numbers 1026, 1413, 1720, 1942 and1946. Dates and codes can be found stamped on the end of the egg cartons or the top of the over wrap bag. The plant number begins with the letter P and then the number. The Julian date follows the plant number, for example: P-I946 223.

There have been confirmed Salmonella enteritidis illnesses from May 17, 2010 to August 17, 2010 relating to the shell eggs, and trace back investigations are ongoing. Trafficanda Egg Ranch is fully cooperating with FDA’s investigation by undertaking this voluntary recall. Our primary concern is keeping Salmonella out of the food supply and away from consumers. Our company strives to provide our customers with safe, high-quality eggs – that is our responsibility and our commitment.

Consumers who believe they have purchased these shell eggs should not eat them but should either destroy or return them to the store where they were purchased for a full refund.

The following statement was released by officials of Wright County Egg regarding its voluntary recall of some shell eggs in cooperation with the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA).

Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa is adding one California-distributed brand label – Cardenas Market – to its voluntary recall of August 13, 2010 of specific Julian dates of shell eggs produced by their farms because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis or arthritis.

The eggs affected were ultimately distributed to Cardenas Market stores in California and Nevada. They were packaged in 60-egg cases that were overwrapped with plastic. Although the Cardenas Market label wasn’t named in the original recall announcement, Cardenas was immediately notified at the time of the original recall, and product in distribution or in stores has been quarantined, returned or destroyed. Eggs included in the recall are labeled with plant number 1026 and Julian dates ranging from 136 to 228.

Dates and codes can be found printed on the label. The plant number begins with the letter P and then the number. The Julian date follows the plant number, for example: P-1026 228.

There have been confirmed Salmonella enteritidis illnesses relating to the shell eggs and traceback investigations are ongoing.

Wright County Egg is fully cooperating with FDA’s investigation by undertaking this voluntary recall. Our primary concern is keeping Salmonella out of the food supply and away from consumers. As a precautionary measure, Wright County Egg also has decided to divert its existing inventory of shell eggs from the recalled plants to a breaker, where they will be pasteurized to kill any Salmonella bacteria present.

Consumers who believe they may have purchased these shell eggs should not eat them but should return them to the store where they were purchased for a full refund.