Scrambled, Over Easy or Contaminated?

New Egg Recall Gives Senate 228 Million More Reasons to Pass the FDA Food Safety Bill

TexPIRG

AUSTIN —The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Wright County Eggs have announced a nationwide recall of 228 million eggs due to possible salmonella contamination.

TexPIRG Advocate Melissa Cubria had the following statement:

“How many breakfasts were ruined this morning as consumers heard about a nationwide egg recall due to possible salmonella contamination?  Hundreds in eight states have already been sickened.

This recall totaling 228 million eggs sold under more than a dozen brand names should give the U.S. Senate another push to pass the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (S.510) in September.  

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began noticing the increase in salmonella illness cases in May, and noted increases to four times the seasonal norm in June and July, Iowa -based Wright County Eggs’ voluntary recall is happening in mid-August.  

As too often happens with voluntary recalls, those eggs were already in grocery stores and kitchens across the country, and were on the breakfast table before consumers learned that they might be contaminated.  This means more people could get sick before this recall is over.

There’s something rotten when consumers get sick from unsafe food and food companies are in charge of their own voluntary recalls. When the Senate returns in September, they should waste no time in passing the FDA Food Safety Modernization bill.”