This week Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa and Hillandale Farms, also of Iowa have found themselves at center stage in the midst of a nationwide Salmonella enteritidis outbreak. The voluntary recalls were initiated due to possible Salmonella concerns. Hillandale added to the 380 million recalled eggs bringing the total to 550 million.

What do we know about Hillandale Farms and Wright County Egg, the firm that recalled 380 million potentially contaminated eggs. According to The Washington Post, both firms have begun to have produced eggs broken and the egg yolk treated for possible Salmonella contamination.

Hillandale is privately owned. Located in Iowa, their operations center around both poultry and dairy farms. Hillandale’s poultry operation consists of two million hens housed in Alden and West Union, Iowa.

Regarding Wright County Egg, CNBC published the following information on August 22, 2010:

Two Iowa farms that together recalled more than half a billion potentially tainted eggs this month share close ties, including suppliers of chickens and feed.

Both farms are linked to businessman Austin “Jack” DeCoster, who has been cited for numerous health, safety and employment violations over the years. DeCoster owns Wright County Egg, the original farm that recalled 380 million eggs Aug. 13 after they were linked to more than 1,000 reported cases of salmonella poisoning.

Another of his companies, Quality Egg, supplies young chickens and feed to both Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms, the second farm that recalled another 170 million eggs a week later.

Jewanna Porter, a spokeswoman for the egg industry, said the two companies share other suppliers as well, but she did not name them.

Currently, there is an ongoing investigation into the source of this Salmonella enteritidis outbreak. While the CDC and FDA work to try to traceback Salmonella food poisoning cases, an interesting piece of information has emerged. The Washington Posted stated:

One of the main things investigators are trying to determine is whether the two companies share a reason for their products to have become contaminated. A spokeswoman for Hillandale Farms, Julie DeYoung, said Friday that the company and Wright County Egg do use some of the same suppliers. “One of those suppliers is Quality Egg LLC, which supplies [young chickens] and feed to both companies and is owned by the DeCoster family,” she said. Wright County Egg is one of the DeCoster family’s many agribusiness holdings.

Whether this turns out to be key in this Salmonella outbreak is yet unknown. This investigation will not be over with quickly. As new information emerges, it will be difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction. Eventually, the truth will emerge.

AustiNuts Wholesale, Inc. is issuing this voluntary recall of pistachio kernel products due to a recall that was issued by it’s supplier California Delights, Inc. California Delights, Inc issued a recall for two shipments of pistachio kernels received by AustiNuts Wholesale, Inc. in July 2010 due to the possibility of contamination with Salmonella. AustiNuts Wholesale, Inc. has issued a voluntary recall for the following products with the corresponding lot numbers:

Pistachio Kernels – Raw or Salted
o Only lot numbers ending with “SE” with packing codes of P1860 through P2080 (LOT NUMBERS MUST END IN “SE”)
Deluxe Nut Mix, Salted
o Only lot number P187013201AW through P207013201AW (LOT NUMBERS MUST FALL BETWEEN P1870 AND P2070)
Gourmet Nut Mix, Salted
o Only lot number P195014401AW through P201014401AW (LOT NUMBERS MUST FALL BETWEEN P1950 AND P2010)

The Pistachio Kernels, Deluxe Nut Mix and Gourmet Nut Mix were only distributed in Texas. Retailers have been advised to remove all of the products with the corresponding lot numbers from store shelves. Consumers having any of these products are urged to destroy them or return them to store where product was purchased.

NO OTHER AUSTINUTS’ PRODUCTS ARE PART OF THIS RECALL. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection to the above products. This voluntary recall is being issued out of an abundance of caution due to possible Salmonella contaminated ingredients.

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 (which may be bloody), 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 (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

As a precautionary measure, Montalvan’s Sales, Inc. of Ontario, CA has voluntarily recalled “La Nuestra” brand frozen mamey pulp due to a potential health risk from Salmonella Typhi.  Typhoid fever is a life-threatening illness caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi.  Salmonella Typhi lives only in humans.  Infection results from eating food or drink beverages that have been handled by a person who is shedding S. Typhi or if sewage contaminated with S. Typhi bacteria gets into the water you use for drinking or washing food.  Once S. Typhi bacteria are eaten or drunk, they multiply and spread into the bloodstream. The body reacts with fever, severe abdominal pain, and other signs and symptoms.  Most ill persons need to be hospitalized for antibiotic treatment. Persons with typhoid fever carry the bacteria in their bloodstream and intestinal tract. In addition, a small number of persons, called carriers, recover from typhoid fever but continue to carry the bacteria. Both ill persons and carriers shed S. Typhi in their feces (stool).

The recalled “La Nuestra” brand mamey pulp was distributed in the states of AZ, CA, NV, OR and UT through retail stores.

The La Nuestra brand mamey pulp comes in a 14-ounce plastic package.  All lot numbers are affected by this recall, however packages produced prior to May 2009 are not identified with a lot number and are subject to this recall as well.  The UPC is 7-56869-10008-4.

This recall was initiated after Montalvan’s Sales, Inc. was notified by FDA and CDC that the affected product is potentially implicated via a strong epidemiologic link to a recent outbreak of Typhoid Fever in several Western States.

Consumers who have purchased La Nuestra brand Mamey Pulp are urged to discard the product and contact Montalvan’s Sales, Inc.’s Consumer Affairs for a full refund.

As additional eggs are recalled due to possible Salmonella enteritidis contamination, it is likely that illnesses will also increase. The CDC has already illustrated that Salmonella enteritidis food poisoning cases have been on the rise since early summer. In fact, it was this piece of information accumulated through their PulseNet program which helped identify the outbreak itself.

Restaurants have been one of the main focuses of the CDC and FDA’s investigation into this Salmonella food poisoning outbreak. In all, restaurants have been linked to 26 Salmonella cases. It was this investigation that brought about a possible connection to Wright County Egg. According to the Washington Post, “In 15 of them, initial sleuthing by epidemiologists pointed to Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa, as a supplier of at least some eggs to the places where people ate.”

Hillandale’s potential link was a little different. The Washington Post stated:

It was the investigation of one of those outbreaks — seven people who became ill after eating chili rellenos at a Minnesota restaurant in May — that led to Hillandale Farms, said Josh Rounds, an epidemiologist at the Minnesota Department of Health. In two other Minnesota outbreaks, one involving three cases in mid-June and another involving four cases late last month, products from Wright County Egg appeared to be involved, he said.

Interestingly, The Washington Post noted in a separate article that this is not Wright County Egg’s first problem situation.

The Iowa egg producer that federal officials say is at the center of a salmonella outbreak and recalls of more than a half-billion eggs has repeatedly paid fines and settled complaints over health and safety violations and allegations ranging from maintaining a “sexually hostile work environment” to abusing the hens that lay the eggs.

Information on this outbreak is still being gathered. It will be interesting to see what the CDC and FDA determine. Regardless, hopefully both the government and producers will learn valuable lessons about food safety from this unfortunate situation.

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker today alerted consumers that Snow White Food Products Inc., located in 621 Bergen Street in Brooklyn, New York, is recalling certain packages of “Alfalfa Sprouts” due to the presence of Salmonella.

The recalled “Alfalfa Sprouts” is packaged in a 3.5 ounce plastic clamshell container which is uncoded. It has a UPC code of 0-46421-11236-6. The product was distributed in New York State.

Salmonella is an organism that 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 that may be bloody, 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 and arthritis. No illnesses have been reported to date to this agency in connection with the recalled product.

The contamination was discovered after a sample analyzed by the New York State Food Laboratory revealed the presence of Salmonella in some 3.5 ounce containers of Snow White Food Products “Alfalfa Sprouts.” Production and sale of the product has been suspended.

Consumers who have purchased 3.5 ounce containers of Snow White Food Products “Alfalfa Sprouts” are urged to return them to the place of purchase or discard the product.

The CDC posted an interesting chart on its website. The chart describes foodborne sicknesses linked to U.S. outbreaks for the year 2007. During 2007, there were a total of 21, 244 foodborne illnesses linked to an outbreak and eighteen deaths. According to the chart, 34% of these illness are related to some form of bacteria. Salmonella and Norovirus topped the chart. Of the eighteen reported deaths, bacteria were linked to eleven cases (Salmonella (5), Listeria monocytogenes (3), E. coli O157:H7 (2), and Clostridium botulinum (1)).

While thirty-eight percent of the illnesses were linked to viruses, less than one percent were attributed to parasites. Chemicals contributed to one percent of the illnesses and multiple causes were cited in three percent.

The most interesting fact of the study is that the cause of nearly one-quarter of the foodborne outbreak associated illnesses remains unknown.

Why would the cause of twenty-four percent of these illnesses remain undiscovered? There are many reasons. Tracing foodborne illnesses to their source can be a difficult and expensive task. Epidemiologists may work for weeks, even months, trying to identify what food an individual ate when they got sick. Then, tracking that food down and directly linking it to a particular strain of bacteria can also take time.

Currently, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and state public health departments are investigating multiple foodborne outbreaks. Louisiana is contending with a voluntary recall of 500,000 pounds of ready to eat sausage and hog head cheese due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. An Oregon dairy has voluntarily recalled milk and juice to Salmonella braenderup. Then, there is the massive Wright County Egg voluntary recall which is possibly linked to Salmonella enteritidis.

Foodborne illnesses will remain a problem if manufactures and governmental agencies do not develop higher standards. The only way a food can remain bacteria free is if it is produced that way. Consumers must demand safe food, produced in a safe way. If not, foodborne illnesses are here to stay.

With the egg recall count now at over 550 million, one has to wonder…. What happened? Salmonella is a well-known bacterial cause of food poisoning. Now, restaurants, grocery stores, and consumers nationwide are checking their refrigerators and shelves to make sure they don’t possess any of these Salmonella enteritidis contaminated eggs. The important thing to do at this point is to try to understand what happened and how it could or should have been prevented.

There are several questions we at Neblett, Beard, and Arsenault would like to see answered.

First, we would like Wright County Egg to detail its inspection process and safety measures utilized to prevent foodborne illness. Rumor mills have been swirling about possible prior violations and unsanitary conditions. But, these rumors will not help the government identify the source. What we need are hard and fast answers.

Second, we would like to see governmental records regarding farm inspection processes. How often are farms such as Wright inspected? Also, what is the procedure? If inspection agencies are understaffed, then this needs to be quickly remedied. If the procedures are inadequate, then this also needs to be fixed.

Finally, what steps does the government plan on taking ?. Manufacturers need to ensure that harmful bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria are not in  food. If this requires adapatation of the production process; change it. If this requires more inspectors; add them. Whatever is needed to improve the health and safety of our consumer food supply, let’s demand that it happen and happen quickly.

Three cases of recalled eggs have been found in Louisiana but none “in major distribution chains.” The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Animal Health Services and Food Safety inspectors have been on the look out for eggs linked to Wright County Egg. Eggs from Wright County Egg are possibly contaminated with a strain of Salmonella bacteria known as Salmonella enteritidis.

KALB News Channel 5 in Alexandria, Louisiana published an article regarding the recall on August 20, 2010. In the article, Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture Mike Strain said that recalled eggs may be in Louisiana.

According to the article, “Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Animal Health Services and Food Safety John Walther said LDAF inspectors are checking with food distributors, restaurants and grocery stores looking for any eggs involved in the recall.”

Walther is quoted as saying, “At this point, we haven’t found evidence of the recalled product in the major distribution chains. So far inspectors have identified only three cases of recalled product.”

With approximately 500 million eggs recalled according to FoxNews.com and new information emerging daily, the possibility of eggs from this nationwide recall emerging in Louisiana is a realistic one. Now that Hillandale has recalled additional eggs due to potential Salmonella contamination, we are left wondering exactly how many eggs will be impacted and how many consumers have recalled eggs sitting in their refrigerators. Both the FDA and CDC have a duty to inform consumers in each state whether or not eggs have been discovered and what is being done to locate these potentially contaminated eggs. Additionally, if Wright County Egg is the source of this Salmonella contamination, they have questions to answer.

The FDA has posted an additional egg recall notice.

 The following statement was released by officials of Luberski Inc. regarding the voluntary recall of shell eggs supplied from Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa.

Luberski Inc. is voluntarily recalling specific Julian dates 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 the recall were distributed to food wholesalers, retail centers and food service companies in California and Nevada. Eggs were packaged under the CRF 20 and 30 egg overwrap units and Loose 15 dozen units. No Retail Carton Eggs of any kind are affected including CRF and Alta Dena Brand Name. Loose 15 dozen units affected were under Alta Dena Dairy, Driftwood Dairy, Hidden Villa Ranch, and Challenge Dairy from plant codes p-1026, p-1413, and p-1946. Julian code dates are 209-224. Dates and codes can be found on the label.

The FDA and CDC have reported confirmed cases of Salmonella enteritidis illnesses relating to the affected shell eggs and traceback investigations are ongoing. Luberski Inc. 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 customers – this voluntary measure is consistent with our commitment to egg safety and it is our responsibility.

Consumers who believe they have purchased these shell eggs should not eat them but should either destroy or return them to the distributors where they were purchased for a full refund. This recall is of shell eggs only. Other fresh shell eggs and egg products sold by Luberski Inc. are not affected.

If you wanted to know more about the current Wright County Egg nationwide recall and its potential link to an outbreak of Salmonella enteritidis, the FDA has developed an informational fact sheet to help consumers better understand this Salmonella situation. Hundreds and potentially thousands of individuals may be victims of this Salmonellosis food poisoning outbreak.

The FDA has worked jointly with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to identify the source of this outbreak and the investigation is still ongoing. The CDC noticed a spike in reported Salmonella cases during May of this year and began investigating.  Initially, “three best-case clusters” for bacteria were identified. The CDC then, according to the FDA press release, “tracebacks revealed Wright County Egg in Iowa as the common shell egg supplier in these clusters.”

The main concern is that consumers will continue to eat contaminated eggs and develop Salmonellosis. Salmonellosis is a foodborne illness which results from the ingestion of Salmonella bacteria. Because Salmonella is passed in the stool of an infected person, a stool sample is need to verify that an individual has this particular food poisoning.

Like other foodborne illnesses such as E. coli and Listeria, Salmonella causes diarrhea and can lead to severe medical complications. Some of these complications include hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a rare kidney complication which can affect young children following infection with Salmonella as well as Shiga-toxin producing E. coli. Salmonella has also been linked to Reiter’s Syndome. Reiter’s syndrome, is also known as reactive arthritis. This is a rare complication which can follow Salmonellosis, but it does occur. Reiter’s syndrome causes severe joint pain and can result in a difficult medical battle for individuals with a weakened immune system.

In other rare cases, Salmonella can enter a person’s bloodstream. The Salmonella bacteria pass through the intestines of a victim along with food during the digestion process. The bacteria travel through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. In such cases, antibiotics are normally required in order to alleviate the infection.

The FDA and CDC are continuing to investigate this outbreak. The FDA press release noted:

The Agency has activated its emergency operations command center with scientists, investigators, epidemiologists, and communication experts. In addition, the FDA deployed an initial team of 10 investigators to Wright County Egg in Iowa to inspect the farms and determine the source of the contamination. More investigators are being deployed to help on-site, looking to find the source of the contamination. Investigators are performing environmental assessments of farm conditions and practices including pest and rodent controls, biosecurity plans, environmental monitoring, sanitary controls, and feed sources.

The FDA is initiating effectiveness checks of the recall, conducting checks at retail stores, wholesalers and distributors to make sure the recalled shell eggs are being removed from the market.

The FDA is in ongoing communications with Wright County Egg to ensure that appropriate preventive measures are put in place to reduce the risk of recurrence. 

With hundreds ill and more victims yet to be reported, this outbreak could span several states and reach into the thousands. Let’s hope this investigation provides information which could help prevent future such incidences.