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Foodsafety.gov

August 23, 2010 by · Comments Off on Foodsafety.gov 

Foodsafety.gov, WASHINGTON – The farm and the two engaged in a massive recall of more when the federal government rarely inspects half-billion eggs, officials say, as the Food and Drug Administration has traditionally reacted to outbreaks rather to work to prevent them.

FDA chief of Hamburg, Margaret said Monday that his agency has not had sufficient authority to help prevent outbreaks like the more than 1,000 cases of salmonella poisoning linked to eggs from two farms in Iowa

There may be more reminiscent of the eggs in the salmonella outbreak, Hamburg, said the NBC Today Show Monday.

“We may see some additional sub-points over the next couple of days, maybe even weeks, as we better understand the distribution of these eggs that are contaminated,” he said.

She advises consumers to visit the FDA website, foodsafety.gov to ensure that eggs are not bought from contaminated lots.

She also had some tips for consumers: Reject eggs easier. He said that as federal investigators continue their work with the companies involved, consumers should strictly avoid “runny egg yolks with toasted bread for mopping.”

Cause unknown
As for the cause, Hamburg, said officials aggressively investigate the problem to determine the exact source of the salmonella outbreak that has sickened as many as 1,300 people and forced the withdrawal of more than half a million eggs.

However, the FDA’s investigation could take months, and sources of pollution are often difficult to find.

Give a series of network interviews following the breaking of eggs and salmonella; Hamburg said the FDA is taking the matter “very, very seriously.” At the same time, she said Congress should approve pending legislation that could provide the agency with greater powers of enforcement, including new authority over imported food.

“We need more resources, we need additional authority, we need greater ability to trace products to their source so that we can identify how the contamination occurred and what products are at risk,” he told TODAY.

The number of diseases, which can be life threatening, especially those with weakened immune systems, is expected to increase. The most common symptoms are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever of eight to 72 hours after eating a contaminated product.

Two farms in Iowa related to the outbreak of the disease – Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms – Suppliers of some of the chickens and feed, as well as links to an Iowa business with a history of violation of state and federal laws.

Jewanna Porter, a spokesman for the egg industry, the company said Saturday Egg Quality C41cks supplies and food both egg and Wright County Farms Hillandale. The two share other suppliers, he said, but she did not name.

The egg industry has consolidated in recent years, with less, large companies in control of much of the egg supply to consumers nationwide.

Federal inspections?
The salmonella outbreak has raised questions about federal inspections of poultry farms. The FDA oversees the inspection of shell eggs, while the Department of Agriculture is responsible for the inspection of other egg products.

William D. Marler, a Seattle attorney for a person who filed a lawsuit alleging the disease from contaminated eggs in a salad at a restaurant in Kenosha, Wisconsin, said Sunday that his firm has been hired by two dozen families and represented a woman who was hospitalized in California.

“The history of ignoring the law makes the sickening 1,300 and the forced retirement of 550 million eggs surprisingly understandable,” Marler said in e-mail to The Associated Press. “You have to wonder whether USDA and FDA inspectors were.”

Entrepreneur Austin “Jack” DeCoster County Wright possesses the egg and egg quality. Wright County Egg recalled 380 million eggs of August 13 after being linked to more than 1,000 cases of salmonella poisoning. A week later, Hillandale Farms recalled 170 million eggs.

DeCoster is no stranger to controversy in the food and agriculture:

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