It’s been almost three years since more than 500 million eggs were recalled in 2010 because of an outbreak of Salmonella that caused nearly 2,000 illnesses - the largest outbreak of its kind on record. Yet under a new egg safety plan approved shortly before the recall, all egg production facilities are still not inspected as required by the plan. In fact, it could be years before they are.
It’s been almost three years since more than 500 million eggs were recalled in 2010 because of an outbreak of Salmonella that caused nearly 2,000 illnesses - the largest outbreak of its kind on record.
Yet under a new egg safety plan approved shortly before the recall, all egg production facilities are still not inspected as required by the plan. In fact, it could be years before they are.
There is an on-going national debate as to which production method is better. Hen housing is the primary focus of proposed federal legislation that would replace current, state-level guidelines for housing and production practices.
Salmonella tainted ground beef could be the biggest challenge facing the industry, said a leading beef researcher. Scientists have realized they may have misidentified the source of Salmonella in beef cattle. They now realize it may be in the lymphatic system of cattle, making it harder to prevent than E. coli. As recently as March of 2013, Salmonella Typhimurium in ground beef was linked to more than 20 human illnesses in six states. In September 2012 nearly 50 people in nine states became ill from eating ground beef tainted with Salmonella Enteritidis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
“It was always our working assumption that E. coli interventions should be controlling Salmonella,” said James Marsden, professor of animal science at Kansas State University.
An estimated 1.2 million Salmonella-related illnesses occur each year in the United States. Approximately 400 people die.
While Salmonella is most often associated with poultry products, outbreaks are linked to a wide variety of sources including contaminated ground beef, fruits and vegetables, dog food, turtles and hedgehogs. Here's a look at the five most common
In 2010, more than 90 percent of the egg cartons containing the adulterated eggs again carried the U.S. Department of Agriculture grade mark for quality in one of the largest egg recalls in history.
The 2010 recall of more than 500 million shell eggs illustrates the lack of communication and coordination among federal agencies involved in the egg inspection process.
It also demonstrates the confusing structure of the system that provides authority and establishes which agencies have oversight when it comes to egg safety
In a step to reduce Salmonella in chickens, Foster Farms representatives said they are feeding probiotics to the company's poultry through the water supply. But there currently are no probiotics approved for use in livestock, according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials.
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that since March 2013 about 480 people across 25 states have become sick from consuming chicken contaminated with an antibiotic-resistant strain of Heidelberg Salmonella. Nearly two out of every five of those people had to be hospitalized.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service announced changes to the process it uses to detect Salmonella in ground beef. Among the changes, beef samples that inspectors examine will increase from 25 grams to 325 grams.