Egg Recall Farms Linked to "Habitual Violator"
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Two Iowa farms that together recalled more than half a billion potentially tainted eggs this month share close ties, including suppliers of chickens and feed.
Both farms are linked to businessman Austin "Jack" DeCoster, who has been cited for numerous health, safety and employment violations over the years. DeCoster owns Wright County Egg, the original farm that recalled 380 million eggs Aug. 13 after they were linked to more than 1,000 reported cases of salmonella poisoning.
Another of his companies, Quality Egg, supplies young chickens and feed to both Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms, the second farm that recalled another 170 million eggs a week later.
Jewanna Porter, a spokeswoman for the egg industry, said the two companies share other suppliers as well, but she did not name them.
The cause of the outbreaks is so far unknown, as Food and Drug Administration investigators are still on the ground at the farms trying to figure it out. The federal Centers for Disease Control has said the number of illnesses, estimated as high as 1,300, would likely grow.
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DeCoster is no stranger to controversy in his food and farm operations:
• In 1997, DeCoster Egg Farms agreed to pay $2 million in fines to settle citations brought in 1996 for health and safety violations at DeCoster's farm in Turner, Maine. Then-Labor Secretary Robert Reich said conditions were "as dangerous and oppressive as any sweatshop." He cited unguarded machinery, electrical hazards, exposure to harmful bacteria and other unsanitary conditions.
• In 2000, Iowa designated DeCoster a "habitual violator" of environmental regulations for problems that included hog manure runoff into waterways. The label made him subject to increased penalties and prohibited him from building new farms.
• In 2002, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced a more than $1.5 million settlement of an employment discrimination lawsuit against DeCoster Farms on behalf of Mexican women who reported they were subjected to sexual harassment, including rape, abuse and retaliation by some supervisory workers at DeCoster's Wright County plants.
• In 2007, 51 workers were arrested during an immigration raid at six DeCoster egg farms. The farm had been the subject of at least three previous raids.
• In June 2010, Maine Contract Farming - the successor company to DeCoster Egg Farms - agreed in state court to pay $25,000 in penalties and to make a one-time payment of $100,000 to the Maine Department of Agriculture over animal cruelty allegations that were spurred by a hidden-camera investigation by an animal welfare organization.
It is unclear what role DeCoster's company played in the current salmonella outbreak. The FDA investigation could take months, and sources of contamination are often difficult to find. The current recall goes back to April, and many of the eggs have already been consumed.
Michael Taylor, the FDA deputy commissioner in charge of the agency's food safety strategy, said the government would continue to investigate the outbreak and touted new safety regulations that went into effect in July.
"Well, we have to systematically work to prevent these problems and looking into this case in particular to see what went wrong in these facilities. But we know if we put in place the right preventive measures we can reduce the risk of these problems. We have new rules coming into effect just this summer, actually [that] we think will help in the future," he told CBS' "The Early Show" Saturday.
Still, DeCoster's Wright County Egg is already facing at least two lawsuits related to the egg recall. One is from food distributor Dutch Farms, which says the company used unauthorized cartons to package and sell eggs under its brand without its knowledge.
The other is from a person who said they became ill after eating tainted eggs in a salad at a restaurant in Kenosha, Wis.
The CDC said investigations by 10 states since April have identified 26 cases where more than one person became ill. Preliminary information showed that Wright was the supplier in at least 15 of those.
Almost 2,000 illnesses from the strain of salmonella linked to both recalls were reported between May and July, nearly 1,300 more than usual, the CDC said. No deaths have been reported.
The most common symptoms of salmonella are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within eight hours to 72 hours of eating a contaminated product. The disease can be life-threatening, especially to those with weakened immune systems.
CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton gave some basic tips to minimize risk of salmonella from eggs:
• Avoid consuming raw or undercooked eggs.
• Don't cook with eggs sitting out for more than two hours.
• Always wash your hands after handling egg products.
• If in doubt, throw it out. If you don't know where your carton came from, get rid of it.
© 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Both farms are linked to businessman Austin "Jack" DeCoster, who has been cited for numerous health, safety and employment violations over the years. DeCoster owns Wright County Egg, the original farm that recalled 380 million eggs Aug. 13 after they were linked to more than 1,000 reported cases of salmonella poisoning.
Another of his companies, Quality Egg, supplies young chickens and feed to both Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms, the second farm that recalled another 170 million eggs a week later.
Jewanna Porter, a spokeswoman for the egg industry, said the two companies share other suppliers as well, but she did not name them.
The cause of the outbreaks is so far unknown, as Food and Drug Administration investigators are still on the ground at the farms trying to figure it out. The federal Centers for Disease Control has said the number of illnesses, estimated as high as 1,300, would likely grow.
Egg Farm Owner in Recall Known for Violations
Egg Recall Expands: How to Tell Good from Bad
Brand Names and Plant Numbers
9 Signs of Salmonella Poisoning
DeCoster is no stranger to controversy in his food and farm operations:
• In 1997, DeCoster Egg Farms agreed to pay $2 million in fines to settle citations brought in 1996 for health and safety violations at DeCoster's farm in Turner, Maine. Then-Labor Secretary Robert Reich said conditions were "as dangerous and oppressive as any sweatshop." He cited unguarded machinery, electrical hazards, exposure to harmful bacteria and other unsanitary conditions.
• In 2000, Iowa designated DeCoster a "habitual violator" of environmental regulations for problems that included hog manure runoff into waterways. The label made him subject to increased penalties and prohibited him from building new farms.
• In 2002, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced a more than $1.5 million settlement of an employment discrimination lawsuit against DeCoster Farms on behalf of Mexican women who reported they were subjected to sexual harassment, including rape, abuse and retaliation by some supervisory workers at DeCoster's Wright County plants.
• In 2007, 51 workers were arrested during an immigration raid at six DeCoster egg farms. The farm had been the subject of at least three previous raids.
• In June 2010, Maine Contract Farming - the successor company to DeCoster Egg Farms - agreed in state court to pay $25,000 in penalties and to make a one-time payment of $100,000 to the Maine Department of Agriculture over animal cruelty allegations that were spurred by a hidden-camera investigation by an animal welfare organization.
It is unclear what role DeCoster's company played in the current salmonella outbreak. The FDA investigation could take months, and sources of contamination are often difficult to find. The current recall goes back to April, and many of the eggs have already been consumed.
Michael Taylor, the FDA deputy commissioner in charge of the agency's food safety strategy, said the government would continue to investigate the outbreak and touted new safety regulations that went into effect in July.
"Well, we have to systematically work to prevent these problems and looking into this case in particular to see what went wrong in these facilities. But we know if we put in place the right preventive measures we can reduce the risk of these problems. We have new rules coming into effect just this summer, actually [that] we think will help in the future," he told CBS' "The Early Show" Saturday.
Still, DeCoster's Wright County Egg is already facing at least two lawsuits related to the egg recall. One is from food distributor Dutch Farms, which says the company used unauthorized cartons to package and sell eggs under its brand without its knowledge.
The other is from a person who said they became ill after eating tainted eggs in a salad at a restaurant in Kenosha, Wis.
The CDC said investigations by 10 states since April have identified 26 cases where more than one person became ill. Preliminary information showed that Wright was the supplier in at least 15 of those.
Almost 2,000 illnesses from the strain of salmonella linked to both recalls were reported between May and July, nearly 1,300 more than usual, the CDC said. No deaths have been reported.
The most common symptoms of salmonella are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within eight hours to 72 hours of eating a contaminated product. The disease can be life-threatening, especially to those with weakened immune systems.
CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton gave some basic tips to minimize risk of salmonella from eggs:
• Avoid consuming raw or undercooked eggs.
• Don't cook with eggs sitting out for more than two hours.
• Always wash your hands after handling egg products.
• If in doubt, throw it out. If you don't know where your carton came from, get rid of it.
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This is STUPIDITY... on BOTH sides - seller for NOT (obviously) making necessary changes and regulators (perhaps receiving $$$ - greedy also???) for NOT enforcing laws that SHOULD protect the people who voted to give them the (often six or seven figure) jobs they have.
Will a responsible person PLEASE stand before one of our children with a weak immune system DIES???
www.privacy-tools.eu.tc
What fines did the employer pay?
Why wasn't the employer fined more heavily after each additional raid?
Why isn't Congress getting off their butt to punish repeat violators, such as this employer?
Which Congress members are getting PAC money or monies donated to them from this employer?
Where is the investigative reporting on the illegal immigration portion of this story?
Put the employer out of business and deport the illegal immigrants. Do this before the employer kills unsuspecting customers.
Congress needs to quit worrying about amnesty or a "path to citizenship" for the illegal immigrants. This sends a message to the world that our immigration laws don?t mean anything. ?Come one, come all? is what Congress is saying to the world.
Folks voted for President Obama because he promised to take care of the illegal immigrants, at least that?s what my folks close to the illegal immigrants say.
The only path for the illegal immigrants is the path to their country of origin.
Ask your Congress folk why they have such a tough time getting the lawbreaking border-jumpers out of this country.
Hey Congress, quit trying to win votes from the illegal immigrants. Stand up and get a backbone and voice to the illegal immigrants, "You are not welcome here; LEAVE!"
Criminals, like the employer who keeps breaking the law, need severe punishment on repeat violations--get it Congress?
Law-breaking employers hiring law-breaking illegal immigrants which is tolerated by an ?illegal immigrant loving? Congress and you ask why we have such a screwed up immigration problem.
No wonder we have 12 to 20 million illegal immigrants in this country. Way to go Congress (sarcasm).
Severely punish the employers of illegal immigrants and fewer illegal immigrants will come here if there are no jobs.
And Congress needs to stop providing false hope to illegal immigrants with wishy-washy attempts to appease various groups of illegal immigrants.
But the big fear is that President Obama is going to disregard the public and grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants which will never stem the flow of illegal immigrants into this country.
Once President Obama condones or forgives lawbreakers, U.S. laws will mean nothing. The laws will just be a door mat to the millions of illegal immigrants already headed for our porous borders.
Lee Ellak
San Jose CA
Let's face it, a company that puts out a product that poisons its customers isn't in business for very long. Typically, those companies will do things such as they did to cut corners for an increased profit, but the product has to be safe or they don't sell any more.
It may have been that the workplace violations contributed to the cause of the contamination, but investigators will make that determination.
Regardless, I'll bet if you looked at all major egg producers, you'll find similar violations. If these similar violations in any way led to the contamination of the eggs, then our nation's egg supply will be pretty much hosed until they get their act together.
What they all had in common is that they were among the very worst in their respective industries when it came to displaying a contemptuous attitute toward complying with state and federal regulations of various aspects of their operations and workplaces.
This is why one has to be very suspicious of the position of trade
associations when it comes to opposing and/or loosening government regulation. They base their case on what the average company that is a member of their trade association does.
Look at the damage that the worst among them can do, however.