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FDA finds salmonella in feed at recall farms

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has matched salmonella found in samples from chicken feed at the two Iowa farms involved in the massive egg recall with salmonella that has caused, at last count, over 14 hundred illnesses in the U.S…

“We’ve received confirmation of salmonella positive with a DNA fingerprint that matches the outbreak fingerprint for feed samples that were provided to pullets on Wright County Egg Farms and also at Hillendale Farms.”

In addition, the FDA’s Sherri McGarry says samples taken from manure, barn walkways and other areas also turned up positive DNA matches to the salmonella cases at two of the Wright County Egg farms…

McGarry, with the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, says the feed and other feed ingredients are likely the sources but may not be the only sources of contamination.

Dr. Jeff Farrar with FDA’s Office of Foods tells reporters provisions of the pending food safety legislation in Congress that could have sped up the investigation. He says they include an improved traceability system, improved access to records and mandatory recall authority that is currently not required of food processors.