Wright County Egg Had Prior History of Salmonella

WASHINGTONA review of nearly two years of environmental sample reports revealed the Wright County Egg tested positive for Salmonella contamination in its Iowa facilities prior to the recent widespread outbreak of Salmonella-related illnesses at least 426 times. In fact, 73 samples tested positive for Salmonella Enteritidis, the same strain that has sickened 1,519 people this year.

House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry A. Waxman and Subcommittee Chairman Bart Stupak on Sept. 14 sent a letter to Austin Jack" DeCoster, the owner of Wright County Egg, regarding records obtained by the committee indicating that the company tested positive for Salmonella contamination at its facilities. The chairmen requested that when DeCoster testifies before the committee on Sept. 21, he needs to explain why the companys facilities tested positive for Salmonella enteritidis, the actions the company took to address Salmonella contamination after receiving the positive test results, and whether the testing results were shared with FDA or other federal or state food safety officials.

Specifically, the letter stated: On Aug. 23, 2010, the Committee wrote you to ask you to provide "[d]ocuments sufficient to show the dates and results of all instances of monitoring or analysis that yielded a positive finding for microbiological testing." Despite the Committee's specific request, your response on Sept. 11, 2010, did not include the 73 potentially positive results for Salmonella enteritidis. It also did not show whether Wright County Egg took appropriate steps to protect the public after receiving the positive test results. We understand that your Sept. 11 document production to the Committee was a partial production and that you are continuing to search for responsive records. We are concerned, however, that you did not inform the Committee of the potentially positive Salmonella enteritidis test results. We ask that you produce these test results and all other responsive documents, including all documents relating to your response to the test results, to the Committee by Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010. We also ask that you explain as part of this production why your Sept. 11 response did not include the test results.

Click here to read the entire letter.

Click here to view Environmental Sample Reports ranging from July 26, 2010, to Sept. 4, 2008.