Eggs seem to be on a lot of minds right now. From my worried grandmother who didn’t want to eat them on the salad bar, to a reader confused about how such a recall could occur. The really sad fact is that the FDA has a very limited ability to order a recall. Most are voluntary from the producer, as in the massive egg recall, and a bill has been sitting in the Senate (S.510) for quite some time that would provide the FDA more authority to conduct recalls. This is important because the FDA currently does not have the authority to force a company to take it’s product off of the shelves, even if it has been deemed unsafe for public consumption.
Unfortunately, one of the farms involved in the recall has had numerous “run-ins” with authorities due to poor working conditions, environmental violations and bacteria found previously on shells. Salmonella growth in eggs is relatively easy to prevent. So what went wrong? Problems were initially reported in May, so why did it take so long for a recall to occur?
First, Salmonella in eggs was never a problem until our country industrialized the egg production industry. Meaning, that hens are now in tight areas. Tight areas = spread of disease. Second, the companies under attack have had numerous violations in the past, but were not required to follow safety regulations because of the limited power of the FDA. It should be noted that new regulations on egg safety went into effect on July 9, however it was too late to prevent this outbreak. S.510 is still waiting for the Senate’s vote and has been waiting for over a year (which would provide the FDA more resources and authority, both good things in my opinion).
Now you might be thinking, what is the impact of S.510 and why has it been stagnant for the past year? Clearly, we need better food regulation.
S.150 will not change the foods regulated between the FDA and USDA. Small businesses and farms will have some exemptions from S.150, such as having more time to make the changes necessary. Product safety standards of fresh fruits and vegetables will be based upon a risk scale. Meaning, more standards will be in place for products that have the highest levels of potential for a food-born outbreak. However, at this time the FDA has little ability to regulate foods that are in the low risk pool. Potentially unsafe food would become fully traceable back to the source. Regulations that support small, local farmers and place high standards upon big Ag businesses sound like a good idea, don’t you think?
It’s interesting that this bill is receiving high level of attention, yet remains untouched. Possibly because of the up coming mid-term elections? Politics once again trumps consumer safety. Over a half-million eggs are on the recall list and nearly 2,000 illnesses were reported in conjunction. My suggestion is to find a friendly local farmer and purchase $6, double-yolk eggs, like Polyface.
What are your thoughts on the issues facing the FDA’s ability to conduct recalls?
For additional reading on the recalls:
USA Today
NY Times
Food Politics
PS. There is also a new recall of deli meats that may be contaminated with Listeria.
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
This was a great explanation. People seem so shocked that there’s such a massive egg recall, but really it was only a matter of time. What else should we expect as a result of how our food is produced?
The more that comes out about this story is crazy. They way the disease spread, the way the chickens are treated. It’s too much!
Its quite scary to think that in this type of marketplace health takes a back burner to profit. My bf and I has a really interesting chat about this type of thing over the weekend as well. In an ideal world I would be able to eat only organic, locally produced food but that isn’t a reality for me or many other people. I wish that there could be more done to prevent a recall rather then what happens when one is necessary because I am a huge believer in preventative strategies rather then reactionary.
I didnt know that the FDA had so little control over recalls.
This entire situation is a mess. The only “good” that I see coming from it is that it’s finally bringing all these issues to the forefront. It’s sad that our food system is set up in a such a way that something as awful as this massive recall and all those cases of sickness is what it takes to get these discussions into mainstream media.
It’s frustrating that the FDA has so little power in these situations. But then again — even in situations where the FDA does have more power, things aren’t as tightly regulated as they should be just because of the sheer time it takes to do inspections, etc. So I’m not sure that there’s an easy solution.
Another interesting thing I just read in terms of the recall and safety regulations is that even though this problem has been blamed on caging the chickens in tight quarters, apparently the link between cage farming and the spread of disease isn’t all that clear (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/24/us/24eggs.html). I personally hate the practice of cage farming, but I guess part of the benefit is that there are methods in place to get rid of the droppings so that the chickens aren’t sitting in them.
In the end, I see it as more evidence against the practice of mass farming in general. And it makes that $6 I spend on the organic eggs from a local farm even more worth it…
I hate to say it, but the recall isn’t as shocking as it should be. With the farming and regulatory practices in this country, I am no longer surprised by such crazy outbreaks. I’m more saddened.
I will continue to enjoy eggs from the local farmer. I will also question so many other things that I eat. I wish the FDA could regulate, but then again, they don’t seem to always manage the systems that they can regulate. I don’t know what the solution is, but hopefully this will enlighten the general public a bit more.
i have many thoughts, you reflected some and ^lauren reflected some…but, and i don’t say this to take away from the issue, the thing that popped into my head was this:
you’re so lucky that you’ll get to dissect this in grad school!! because i’m a pubh nerd and that’s how i roll. i would LOVE to sit in on your lecture when you get into it. and you will. i know because i started the semester when the spinach was contaminated and it was AWESOME to learn about.
ok, pubh nerd out.
I think it’s terrible that they allowed conditions to get to this point in the first place. I’m tired of no one in the government truly looking out for the safety and well-being of the people. If we could get rid of all the kickbacks and greedy politicians – maybe we could actually get somewhere!
On the bright side, maybe this will get more people to buy local eggs and meat than before. I know I already heard someone talking about that today, though it’s sad something like this had to occur before people would do anything.
It’s just sad to me that something so delicate in our lives and well being is not better regulated for our safety. You would think it would be a no brainer? I’m not sure what it’s going to take because many of these outbreaks have been happening within the past several years. Something needs to be done. And don’t even get me started about lack of supplement regulation and oversight! grrr
All of this just makes me wish that I lived somewhere where local farming was an option. Seeing Food Inc and then this recall has just made me sick.
this doesnt surprise me! it just goes to show how much more careful we as consumers need to be in trusting companies that handle and grow/ship our food. eggs and samonella go hand in hand.. and the bigger the company/farm/business, the higher the risk involved. its crazy huh!
xo
Ahhh, such a terrible/sad situation. If I didn’t live in the city I would SO want my own chicken coop
Thanks for posting the articles! I enjoyed reading them
The Egg Safety Centre says:
Consumers are reminded that properly storing, handling and cooking eggs should help prevent food-borne illness. The Egg Safety Center and the Food and Drug Administration recommend that eggs should be fully cooked until both the yolks and the whites are firm, and consumers should not eat foods that may contain raw or undercooked eggs.
Maybe there should be more onus on the producers rather than the consumers urging them to treat hens humanely and raise them in conditions that don’t lead to food-borne illness. IF it weren’t for them then consumers wouldn’t need to be warned about how eggs should be consumed.
I think that the FDA should be able to recall any product that is putting the public at-risk. As consumers, we should be able to trust that the food we’re eating has been grown/harvested in the safest and cleanest possible conditions. Companies/corporations don’t have safety in mind, they are more concerned with profit! Regulations and inspections slow down their production, so naturally they’re opposed to it. When QUANTITY is the goal, QUALITY goes down the drain.
I think regulations need to be consolidated under one government organization, either the FDA or the USDA. It frustrates me that the Senate bill is taking so long to pass. I think you’re right–it’s all about politics!
Such an informative post – thanks for the information! I am having a hard time sorting out the facts in this egg recall so I appreciate you taking the time to straighten things out.
Thank you for taking the time to write out a clear explanation of what is going on with the recall. I learned a lot by reading through your post, and I agree- regulations that support small, local farms and force larger industries to be accountable would certainly be welcome in my book!
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