Global Food Safety Initiative training offered for US egg producers

Food Safety and Quality Systems will present Global Food Safety Initiative training courses, which are specifically designed to cover processes and procedures of the fresh shell egg industry.
Four courses will be taught June 3-7, 2013, in the Chicago area. The courses are titled Certified HACCP Course, FSMA Prescriptive Controls, Implementing SQF Systems Practitioner Course and Internal Auditor Course. For more information or to register, visit the Food Safety and Quality Systems website.

Cal-Maine net income up in first quarter despite high feed costs

Cal-Maine Foods reported a net income of $9.4 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2013, up from the $3.1 million reported in the first quarter of 2012, according to the company's latest financial report.
Revenues for Cal-Maine were up 12 percent over the same period in 2012, while volumes were at about the same level, reflecting higher average market prices for shell eggs. The company's specialty egg sales have continued to trend higher and represented over 16.1 percent of dozens sold and 23.5 percent of total shell egg sales revenue for the quarter. “We are pleased with our financial and operating performance for the first quarter of fiscal 2013," said Dolph Baker, chairman, president and CEO. "These results reflect a strong start to our fiscal year in what is typically our most challenging quarter."
The company said it has remained focused on running efficient operations in spite of higher feed costs. “The damage to the national corn and grain crops caused by the extreme summer drought conditions will likely keep our feed costs near-record high levels in fiscal 2013," said Baker.
“We look forward to the opportunities ahead for Cal-Maine Foods in fiscal 2013," he said. "Current market conditions are favorable with strong retail demand for eggs, especially as we head into the busy holiday season. We believe we are well positioned to succeed in this environment. We have a proven management team focused on executing our strategy to be an efficient low cost producer, expand our specialty egg business, provide exceptional customer service and identify suitable acquisitions to enhance our growth and build shareholder value."

US egg prices, exports expected to rise in 2013

Better overall economic conditions in 2013 are expected to generate greater domestic demand for shell eggs and egg products, especially from the food service sector, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report. However, higher production is expected to offset the demand and leave overall wholesale egg prices in 2013 at $1.00–$1.08 per dozen, only slightly higher than in 2012.
During the first quarter of 2012, the wholesale price in the New York market averaged $1.09 per dozen for Grade A large eggs. This is up almost 3 percent from the same time in 2011, in part due to the high prices at the beginning of the year carried over from strong fourth-quarter 2011 prices of $1.31 per dozen. Shell egg prices have fallen seasonally since the Easter holiday and second-quarter prices in the New York market are expected to average $0.91–$0.93 per dozen, down 14 percent from 2011, according to the USDA.
Exports of shell eggs and egg products are expected to expand to the equivalent of 266 million dozen in 2013, slightly higher than the forecast for 2012. Higher shipments in 2013 are expected to be generated primarily by stronger demand from a number of Asian countries, including Hong Kong, Japan and Korea. Egg exports in 2012 are expected to contract, with smaller shipments to Mexico and Canada. One factor that could affect the 2012 forecast is high demands for breaking eggs and egg products from EU countries facing lower production.
In the first quarter of 2012, egg and egg product exports totaled 63 million dozen, down 6 percent from the same time in 2011. Much of the export decrease occurred in March, when shipments were down 13 percent from 2011 numbers. The March decline is chiefly the result of sharp drops in shipments to both Korea and the United Arab Emirates, according to the USDA. Shipments to Korea during the first quarter of 2012 were only 1.1 million dozen, down 88 percent from the same period in 2011.
For more egg information and statistics, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html.

US shell eggs broken up from May

Shell eggs broken were up 3% for the first half of 2011 compared to the same time in 2010.

Shell eggs broken totaled 185 million dozen during June 2011, 6% above the 175 million broken in May and down 1% from June 2010, according to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture report.
During January through June 2011, shell eggs broken totaled 1,029 million dozen, up 3% from the comparable period in 2010. To date, cumulative total edible product from eggs broken in 2011 was 1,342 million pounds, up 2% from 2010. White and yolk products were both up in June 2011 over June 2010 numbers, coming in at 66 million pounds and 33 million pounds, respectively, compared to 64.9 million pounds and 30.9 million pounds, respectively. Whole egg products were down, at 139. 8 million pounds compared to June 2010’s 146.6 million pounds.

Georgian egg market oversaturated, production down

Georgian egg producers have decreased production since 2009 in an effort to lighten the country's overburdened market, even as retail prices have increased by 20%.
In 2009, 430.6 million eggs were produced, while in 2010 only 397 million were produced, according to the National Statistics Office of Georgia. In addition, however, there is a significant import market — by April 2011, 5 million eggs had already been imported into Georgia, mostly (4.5 million) from Ukraine. Georgia's egg export numbers are not nearly as high; in 2010, the country only managed to export 195,000 eggs.

US egg products up 3% from 2010

To date, the cumulative total of edible products from U.S. eggs broken in 2011 is 1.103 billion pounds, up 3% from 2010, according to the latest Food Safety and Inspection Service report.
U.S. shell eggs broken totaled 175 million dozen during May 2011, up 2% from May 2010 and 7% above the 164 million broken in April. During the calendar year 2011 through May, shell eggs broken totaled 844 million dozen, up 3% from the comparable period in 2010.

US shell eggs broken down for April, up for 2011

Shell eggs broken were up 4% for the 2011 calendar year through April.

U.S. shell eggs broken totaled 164 million dozen during April 2011, down 4% from April 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This number also represents a 9% drop from the 180 million broken in March.
For the calendar year through April, however, shell eggs broken totaled 669 million dozen, up 4% from the same period in 2010. To the end of April, cumulative total edible product from eggs broken in 2011 was 874 million pounds, up 4% from 2010's 841 million pounds.

Wright County Egg to resume shipments of shell eggs after four-month ban

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that Wright County Egg may resume shipping shell eggs to consumers after a four-month ban related to the August recall of over half a billion shell eggs originating from Wright and Hillandale Farms.
The Salmonella enteritidis-focused recall caused an estimated 1,470 cases of illness. "During the outbreak, I said that the FDA would not agree to the sale of eggs to consumers from Wright County Egg until we had confidence that they could be shipped and consumed safely," said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. "After four months of intensive work by the company and oversight, testing and inspections by the FDA, I am satisfied that time has come."
The company has taken several corrective measures to address issues that were discovered by the FDA in August. Chicken housing has been cleaned, sanitized and tested; contaminated pullets have been replaced with SE-negative pullets vaccinated against SE; the severe rodent problem has been eliminated and a monitoring system has been put in place; and feed supplies have been made safer through cleaning the feed mill, correcting structural defects, eliminating egg shells, meat and bone meal from the feed and testing the feed for SE. FDA inspections were conducted in October and November verifying the changes.

Animal Welfare Approved to offer free consulting services

In response to the recent U.S. shell egg recall, Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) is offering its consulting services free of charge to any farmer interested in starting up a pasture-based egg operation.
"AWA farmers who are raising laying hens are already experiencing a significant increase in demand for pastured eggs and many are concerned they cannot satisfy it," said AWA Program Director Andrew Gunther. "That's why we are encouraging farmers to contact us for set-up advice." The AWA also has a mentoring program that matches new and experienced farmers.

UPDATE: Investigation continues in US egg recall

A potential source of the salmonella that tainted shell eggs from two companies and started a nationwide egg recall remains under investigation, according to CNN.
Bacteria have been found in chicken feed and in barns and walkways at Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms, the two companies in the middle of the recall. According to federal investigators, contamination likely happened at some point after the feed or feed ingredients went through the heat treatment that kills salmonella. The feed was produced at a Wright County Egg mill and given to pullet chickens at both companies. The exact cause of contamination has not yet been determined, and federal officials are not ruling out the possibility of other sources. Investigators are not yet prepared to release inspection findings, calling any conclusions that might be drawn "a little premature" at this point, but some results may be released later this week. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Margaret Hamburg did say the farms involved in the recall fell short of safety standards.
Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms have now recalled over half a billion shell eggs between them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 2,403 cases of Salmonella enteritidis were recorded from May 1 to August 25, as opposed to the 933 cases that would normally be reported during that timeframe. Federal officials said they do not expect any more recalls.
The Wright County Egg recall specifically relates to eggs packed between May 16 and Aug. 13, with Julian dates ranging from 136 to 229 and plant numbers 1026, 1413, 1720, 1942 and 1946. Brand names include: Cardenas, Trafficanda, Lucerne, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Dutch Farms, James Farms, Glenview, Mountain Dairy, Ralphs, Boomsma, Lund, Kemps and Pacific Coast. Affected eggs were distributed to food wholesalers, distribution centers and foodservice companies in California, Arizona, Missouri, Minnesota, Texas, Georgia, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada, Iowa, Illinois, Utah, Nebraska, Arkansas, Wisconsin and Oklahoma.
The Hillandale Farms recall covers eggs distributed under the brand names Hillandale Farms, Sunny Farms and Sunny Meadow sold between April and August. Hillandale said the eggs were distributed to grocery distribution centers, retail groceries and food service companies that serve or are located in 14 states: Kansas, Arkansas, California, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin.
A complete list of affected eggs is available through the Egg Safety Center.

Finding source of outbreak no small task, say experts

When an outbreak hits, like the current one involving salmonella and a 550 million shell egg recall in the U.S., everyone wants the source to be found immediately.
But government food-safety experts say it's not that easy. "The mantra is: You have to be fast and right," said Ian Williams, chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s outbreak response branch. "You can never be fast enough and you always have to be right."
Sometimes mistakes are made: in 2008 the tomato industry took a major financial fall when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC identified tomatoes as the culprits in a salmonella outbreak. Later, hot peppers were discovered to be the real source. In the case of Wright County Egg, the company that originated the current egg recall, it took 10 days after two states identified the company as the common egg supplier in illnesses for the FDA to inform Wright. While the evidence was gathered in the last week of July, it wasn't until August 13 that a recall was announced.
Deciding when there's enough evidence to alert a company or the public of an outbreak is a judgment call, said Jeff Farrar, the FDA's associate commissioner for food protection. "This is where hindsight and second-guessing come in," he said. "We try to do the best we can."

UV light to treat contaminated egg shells

USDA-ARS scientists have recently published on the application of ultra violet light to inactivate Salmonella enteritidis (SE) on egg shells. Studies* were conducted involving the inoculation of egg shells with SE and subjecting the shell surfaces to UV irradiation over periods of 1 to 30 seconds.
Significant reduction of SE was obtained after 20 seconds of treatment with a lamp generating a dose of 23.6 J/cm2 and the radiation of the shell surface had no effect on internal quality perimeters.
However, in the event of surface contamination from fecal contact during passage of the egg through the cloaca, existing washing installations operated at recommended temperatures (115-125F) using a chlorine sanitizer at a concentration ranging from 100 to 150 ppm at a pH of 10 to 12 will effectively decontaminate shells at processing rates of up to 500 cph.

US assures Russia of poultry meat safety in wake of egg recall

In wake of the ongoing U.S. recall of roughly 550 million shell eggs due to salmonella contamination, the Poultry & Egg Export Council has released a statement to allay Russian fears of unsafe poultry meat.
According to the statement, "all poultry meat produced in the USA and designated for export to the Russian Federation is in full compliance with Russian requirements on the safety of poultry products." Poultry & Egg Export Council President Jim Sumner said the two industry segments are in no way related. "The poultry meat and egg segments of the U.S. poultry industry are completely separate entities," he said. "The products never come into contact with each other and are produced at separate facilities remotely located from one another, which fully excludes any possibility of cross-contamination."
The statement was released in response to comments made by Russian officials that the egg recall could have negative implications on U.S. poultry exports to Russia.

UPDATE: Congress now involved in egg recall investigation

Congress' House Energy and Commerce Committee has requested documents and information from both Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms regarding the ongoing recall of their shell eggs.
The two companies have now recalled over half a billion eggs between them; a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) spokesperson said the two recalls are related. According to a Hillandale Farms spokesman the farms share a number of common suppliers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 1,953 cases of Salmonella enteritidis were recorded from May 1 to July 31, and so far about 1,000 of those cases have been linked to the recalled eggs. The information requested by Congress covers when the companies released information about the contamination, inspection records, internal protocols and standards and documents related to allegations of health, safety, environmental or animal cruelty violations for the companies.
The Wright County Egg recall specifically relates to eggs packed between May 16 and Aug. 13, with Julian dates ranging from 136 to 229 and plant numbers 1026, 1413, 1720, 1942 and 1946. Brand names include: Lucerne, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Dutch Farms, James Farms, Glenview, Mountain Dairy, Ralphs, Boomsma, Lund, Kemps and Pacific Coast. Affected eggs were distributed to food wholesalers, distribution centers and foodservice companies in California, Arizona, Missouri, Minnesota, Texas, Georgia, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada, Iowa, Illinois, Utah, Nebraska, Arkansas, Wisconsin and Oklahoma.
The Hillandale Farms recall covers eggs distributed under the brand names Hillandale Farms, Sunny Farms and Sunny Meadow sold between April and August. Hillandale said the eggs were distributed to grocery distribution centers, retail groceries and food service companies that serve or are located in 14 states: Kansas, Arkansas, California, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin.
According to the FDA, new safety rules for large-scale producers were announced on July 9, but that announcement seems to have come after the salmonella outbreak began. "The outbreak could have been prevented," said FDA Spokeswoman Sherri McGarry. "The egg safety rule is in a phase-in approach, but there are measures that would have been in place that could have prevented this if it [had] been placed earlier than July."
Contaminated eggs should not be eaten, but rather disposed of or returned to the store from which they were purchased for a full refund. Additional information is available through the Egg Safety Center.

UPDATE: Egg recall expands to second producer

On Thursday Federal officials said he salmonella outbreak that had led to the recall of 380 million shell eggs was likely grow, as will the number of illnesses. On Friday, August 20, Iowa's Hillandale Farms said it was recalling more than 170 million eggs laboratory tests confirmed salmonella. An FDA spokesperson said the two recalls are related. The strain of salmonella bacteria causing the poisoning is the same in both cases, salmonella enteritidis.
The eggs recalled Friday were distributed under the brand names Hillandale Farms, Sunny Farms and Sunny Meadow. The new recall applies to eggs sold between April and August. Hillandale said the eggs were distributed to grocery distribution centers, retail groceries and food service companies that serve or are located in 14 states: Kansas, Arkansas, California, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin.According to a CNN report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that 1,953 cases of Salmonellaenteritidis were recorded from May 1 to July 31. While it's not certain how many of those cases can be attributed to the recalled eggs, a normal number of cases in that time period would be closer to 700, said Dr. Christopher Braden, acting director of the CDC's division of food-borne, waterborne and environmental diseases. Further, that number is expected to grow as infections happening after July 17 might not have been reported yet.
The nationwide recall involves more than a dozen brands of eggs from Iowa-based Wright County Egg. The recall specifically relates to eggs packed between May 16 and Aug. 13, with Julian dates ranging from 136 to 229 and plant numbers 1026, 1413, 1720, 1942 and 1946. Brand names include: Lucerne, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Dutch Farms, James Farms, Glenview, Mountain Dairy, Ralphs, Boomsma, Lund, Kemps and Pacific Coast, in varying sizes of cartons (six-egg cartons, dozen-egg cartons, 18-egg cartons and loose eggs for institutional use and repackaging).
Eggs affected by the recall were distributed to food wholesalers, distribution centers and foodservice companies in California, Arizona, Missouri, Minnesota, Texas, Georgia, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada, Iowa, Illinois, Utah, Nebraska, Arkansas, Wisconsin and Oklahoma. These companies distribute nationwide.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), new safety rules for large-scale producers were announced on July 9, but that announcement seems to have come after the salmonella outbreak began. "The outbreak could have been prevented," said FDA Spokeswoman Sherri McGarry. "The egg safety rule is in a phase-in approach, but there are measures that would have been in place that could have prevented this if it [had] been placed earlier than July."
Wright County Egg released the following statement: "Wright County Egg is fully cooperating with FDA's investigation by undertaking this voluntary recall. Our primary concern is keeping salmonella out of the food supply and away from consumers. As a precautionary measure, Wright County Egg also has decided to divert its existing inventory of shell eggs from the recalled plants to a breaker, where they will be pasteurized to kill any salmonella bacteria present."
Contaminated eggs should not be eaten, but rather disposed of or returned to the store from which they were purchased for a full refund. Wright County Egg has set up a message outlining recall instructions for consumers at +1.866.272.5582.
Additional information is available through the Egg Safety Center. State-by-state updates on the situation can be found here.

Supreme Court passes on Rose Acre Farms claim

The Supreme Court declined to review “Rose Acre Farms Inc. v. United States” in a decision which let stand the ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The action came from a claim made by Rose Acre Farms following an SE trace-back with a USDA-imposed diversion of shell eggs from affected flocks to breaking.
Rose Acre Farms claimed USDA action represented “regulatory taking” and was unconstitutional. The Court of Federal Claims awarded Rose Acre $5.4 million in damages but this was overturned by the higher court.

FDA issues guidance on new safety rules for shell eggs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has published guidance for small egg producers to help them comply with a 2009 federal egg safety regulation designed to prevent Salmonella enteritidis in shell eggs during production, transportation and storage.

Guidance for Industry: Prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis in Shell Eggs During Production, Transportation, and Storage - Small Entity Compliance Guide sets forth, in plain language, the requirements of the 2009 egg safety regulation in order to help small businesses comply with that regulation. The regulation is part of a coordinated strategy between the FDA and the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service to help ensure egg safety.
The FDA published the egg safety regulation in July 2009. It requires egg producers to have preventive measures in place during the production of shell eggs in poultry houses and requires subsequent refrigeration during storage and transportation to prevent Salmonella enteritidis.
According to the FDA, the regulation is expected to prevent thousands of cases of foodborne illness and approximately 30 deaths caused by consumption of eggs contaminated with the bacterium Salmonella enteritidis each year.
The regulation affects all egg producers with 3,000 or more laying hens who do not sell all of their shell eggs directly to consumers. Producers with fewer than 3,000 laying hens are exempt from the requirements. Producers with 50,000 or more laying hens must be in compliance with the regulation by July 2010. Producers with at least 3,000 but fewer than 50,000 laying hens must comply by July 2012.

January US egg exports increase 45%

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, exports of shell eggs in January 2010 were 3.8 million dozen, 45% higher than in January 2009.
They were valued at $3.07M (or about 80.3 cents per dozen). Sales of egg products approached 49 million, an increase of 9% over January 2009. Shipments to Japan and Mexico fell by almost 40%, but a marked increase in shipments to Canada and the European Union compensated for these losses.

International Egg Commission to meet in Paris

The International Egg Commission will meet April 11-15 in Paris for a conference with the “The New Decade” as its theme. More than 280 egg industry decision-makers from four continents will meet, according to Frank Pac, the commission’s chairman.
The chosen location of Paris recognizes the contribution of France as one of Europe’s largest egg producers, with 44 million layers producing 40.5 million cases of shell eggs and 200,000 tons of processed egg products annually.

Urner Barry executive conference set for April

The 2010 Urner Barry Executive Conference and Marketing Seminar will be held at The Venetian in Las Vegas, April 25-27.
The keynote speaker will be Harold Ford Jr., chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council and a former U.S. representative. Seminar topics include exports, the future of egg production in the United States, a market review of shell eggs and products, and the outlook for the food service channel.