Hillandale Farms and Wright County Egg recalled a half-billion eggs in August because of a possible salmonella contamination. So far, over 1,600 salmonella illnesses have been linked to the farms according to a news article in the Associated Press. After a massive recall from egg companies such as Wright County Egg, Congress meet with the chiefs of two Iowa egg farms to get answers.

Lawmakers called two witnesses to the stand who each recounted their sickened state caused by salmonella poisoning. Members of the subcommittee showed photos of the farms that included dead chickens, insects, and piles of manure in hen houses.

Peter DeCoster, CEO of Hillandale, said that an ingredient purchased from a supplier may be to blame for the salmonella outbreak and that the agencies reports of filthy conditions at the farm were only partially true. Representative Henry Waxman said, “It sounds like to me like both of you are refusing to take responsibility for a very poor facility. For you to come before us and say, ‘It’s the feed, we have nothing to do with it,’ is hard for me to believe and accept on face value.”

Peter, however, is no stranger in dealing with the government. Over the last 20 years, he has paid fines for health, safety, immigration and environmental violations at his farms.

It is still unknown exactly what caused this Salmonella outbreak. The FDA is currently investigating leads. FDA deputy commissioner, Dr. Joshua Sharfstein believes that it is unlikely that an ingredient in the feed caused that outbreak. He suspects that a widespread contamination at the farms caused the salmonella outbreak.

Have You Experienced Symptoms from Salmonella Poisoning?

If you or a loved one has experienced symptoms from salmonella poisoning it is a good idea to contact an experienced food borne illness lawyer. An experienced food poisoning lawyer can help you receive a fair settlement.