FDA balked two weeks before contacting Wright County Egg on infection reports

Health officials in Iowa and with the federal government each suspected the two farms since implicated in the nationwide Salmonella Egg outbreak two weeks before the companies issued a massive recall.

At least a half-billion eggs have been recalled by Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms, the first of which was issued on Aug. 13. But according to a USA Today investigation, officials in Des Moines and with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration suspected the egg farms were linked to a growing outbreak two weeks before that first recall.

The CDC even delayed issuing generalized guidelines for safe egg eating habits until the FDA and the firm were ready to announce the recall.

At least 1,400 Salmonella infections reported to authorities have been linked to eggs produced by either of the two Iowa farms. Estimates show that only one of every 30 actual infections are ever reported, meaning as many as 30,000 people could have eaten and gotten sick from Salmonella contaminated eggs.

In late July, health officials in Minnesota and California each reported outbreaks of Salmonella Enteritidis among people who ate eggs at small restaurants. In each of those cases, the eggs were linked to Wright County Egg, and despite that information being relayed to federal officials, they remained mum for another two weeks.

The FDA didn’t contact Wright County Egg until two days prior to its first recall, and didn’t make any effective communications until hours before the recall.

To its defense, the FDA can not force a company to recall a product, unless it can prove beyond a doubt that it is linked to a public health threat. At least, that is what the FDA is using to defend itself on the apparent delay in action.