Posted 08 September 2010 - 12:16 PM
The following is from the FDA following inspection of these farms
Among the observations noted by our investigators at Wright County were the following; the firm failed to fully implement and follow procedures in its Salmonella Enteritidis Prevention Plan.
Some examples of that are that the firm failed to prevent stray poultry, wild birds, cats and other animals from entering poultry houses. Outside access doors to manure pits were pushed out by the weight of manure which was piled in some cases four to eight feet high thereby providing openings into the poultry houses for wildlife or other animals.
Further, animals including rodents were able to enter the poultry houses due to structural damage that included things like missing siding and air vents or gaps at the bottoms of doors.
The firm failed to eliminate birds from laying houses and to control rodents or flies. Our investigators observed bird nests and birds in one poultry house, live rodents in at least one poultry house at several plants, and live and dead flies that were too numerous to count in many poultry houses at certain plants.
The live flies were observed on and around egg belts, feed shell eggs and walkways to different sections of the egg laying areas.
There were live flies, crushed under foot when employees walked in the aisles at work and there were live and dead maggots observed in the manure pit at one plant.
In addition our investigators observed the failure to implement practices that protect against the introduction or transfer of Salmonella Enteritidis between and among poultry houses.
Specifically our investigators observed that the firm lacked separate entrances to each poultry house those requiring the use of shared corridors between certain houses.
We observed employees failing to change protective clothing when moving from one house to another. And failing to clean and sanitize equipment prior to moving between poultry houses at one plant.
Hillandale covers observations made at two separate firms, two separate plants.
Among the observations noted by our investigators is that we did observe that the firm failed to fully implement and follow procedures in its Salmonella Enteritidis Prevention Plan.
Examples of that are that are investigators observed the failure to eliminate entry ways for rodents and other pests into the egg production facilities. To bait and seal rodent borough holes in the egg production facilities and to eliminate the potential rodent or pest harborage places near the - near the structures.
They also failed to eliminate standing water adjacent to the manure pits or to eliminate liquid manure.
Our investigators also observed that the firm failed to maintain documentation that 19 week old pullet’s were Salmonella Enteritidis monitored, or raised under SE monitored conditions.
They also observed that the firm failed to take steps to make sure that SE isn’t transferred into or among poultry houses. Our investigators observed uncaged hens tracking manure from the manure pits to the cage tend house areas.
We have confirmed salmonella with an indistinguishable DNA fingerprint in a water sample collected at one of the plants from Hillandale. This water sample is from what is called Spent Egg Wash Water.
That is water that is used to wash the exterior of the eggs as the eggs are coming down a conveyor line from the laying house into the packing facility.
Shocking really !
The inspection reports are available online for both Hillandale Farms and Wright County Egg.
