The investigation continues into the two Iowa egg farms involved in that salmonella contamination recall. Federal agents visited both farms again this week as part of an investigation involving the criminal division FDA and the Justice Department. FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg told reporters, “There is a formal investigation going on that extends beyond the FDA inspections that are focused on farm practice.”
Some questions being raised about federal egg inspectors at the facilities. Earlier this week, officials from the Food and Drug Administration reported a number of violations at the two farms including rodents, maggots and wild birds in the barns. USA Today reports USDA Egg Graders were at both farms 40 hours a week even before the outbreak and questions why they didn’t see the problems. The rules state the buildings and outside premises must be free of conditions that harbor vermin but apparently there is some discrepancy as to the definition of buildings and outside premises. The article quotes USDA assistant branch chief in the egg grading program as saying “Under the USDA’s unwritten interpretation of the regulations, egg graders only look for vermin inside the specific processing building where they are based. The agency interprets outside premises as only the area immediately around the processing building’s loading dock and trash receptacle.”
The barns at Hillandale Farm are about 50 feet from the processing facility while at Wright County Egg the barns are about 50 feet apart but are connected to the processing plant. USDA spokesman Caleb Weaver said egg graders have no authority to look at the laying barns, even though they are connected to the processing facilities.
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