FDA Says Wright County Eggs Can Resume Shipments

WASHINGTONThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave Iowa-based Wright County Egg LLC the green light to resume shipping shell eggs directly to the consumer market from two hen houses on one of its six farms. FDA had halted all egg shipments since August 2010 when the companys eggs were associated with the Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) outbreak in at least 22 states that sickened more than 1,000 people.

FDAs decision was based on corrective measures the company has taken to address all four pathways of contamination that may have contributed to the outbreak. Among the measures, the laying hens present at the time of the outbreak have been removed and the houses cleaned, sanitized and tested to ensure they are no longer contaminated with Salmonella. The company also developed and implemented a biosecurity plan to minimize the risk of contamination from other houses or other farms.

Infected pullets in the houses were replaced with SE negative pullets that have been vaccinated for SE. The company also resolved the severe rodent problem in the feed and egg-laying areas by implementing a system to control and monitor rodents on a weekly basis. Corrective actions also included cleaning and disinfecting the feed mill; correcting the structural defects; eliminating egg shells, meat and bone meal from the feed; and testing of feed ingredients and feed for Salmonella.

During the outbreak, I said that FDA would not agree to the sale of eggs to consumers from Wright County Egg until we had confidence that they could be shipped and consumed safely," FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg said. After four months of intensive work by the company and oversight, testing, and inspections by FDA, I am satisfied that time has come."

FDA will continue to conduct environmental and egg sampling and will conduct periodic inspections to verify the effectiveness of the safety measures in place. Corrective actions continue to be implemented for Wright County Eggs remaining houses, operating on six farms.