Huge egg recall in US

Wright County Eggs in Iowa is currently in the process of recalling around 380 million eggs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The recall was called on the 13 August as a result of increasing number of cases of Salmonella enterititis.

Normally in the period between May and July, the CDC would expect around 700 identified cases of food poisoning from this bacterium, this year there have been more than 2000.

The CDC further believes that for each identified case of this bacterium, there can be up to 30 that are not reported. That makes this potentially one of the worst food poisoning outbreaks in US history.

The business has been traced as the source in many of the cases and it is therefore running a voluntary recall of all the eggs in it’s 13 brands that were produced since the 19 May.

The recall is nationwide and investigations are underway in 13 states.

Interestingly, the new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) egg safety rule came into effect as of 09 July. It requires that large scale producers must refrigerate eggs, protect feed and water from contamination and test birds for Salmonella. If it is found in the birds, the eggs must then be tested and if Salmonella is found there, the eggs must be processed to eliminate the bacteria or send for non food uses.

Australia is in the process of implementing our own egg food safety requirements and the final adjustments to the new requirements are being made by Food Standards Australia New Zealand prior to going to the Ministerial Council later this year.

If approved by the Council, it is expected that the new requirements will be in place in all relevant egg businesses within 12 months of it being approved. This will give all these businesses time to implement the requirements. However, many producers already meet these requirements through their food safety programs.