Salmonella Enteritidis United States · 2010

Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak linked to shell eggs, United States, 2010

CDC reported 3,578 Salmonella Enteritidis illnesses with the outbreak pattern from 1 May to 30 November 2010, against about 1,639 expected, so roughly 1,939 were likely outbreak-associated. Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa, supplied eggs in 15 of 29 restaurant or event clusters. FDA found the outbreak strain in 11 environmental samples including the Wright County Egg feed mill, and in an egg wash water sample at a Hillandale Farms packing facility. In April 2015 Quality Egg owner Austin (Jack) DeCoster and chief operating officer Peter DeCoster were each sentenced to three months in prison after pleading guilty to introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce, according to the US Department of Justice.^1,2

Counts as reported on 2 December 2010.¹ Food vehicle: Shell eggs. Company named in official findings: Wright County Egg (Galt, Iowa) and Hillandale Farms of Iowa.

Timeline

1. 13 August 2010Wright County Egg conducted a nationwide voluntary shell egg recall.¹
2. 18 August 2010Wright County Egg expanded its recall.¹
3. 20 August 2010Hillandale Farms of Iowa conducted a nationwide voluntary shell egg recall.¹
4. 2 December 2010CDC final update.¹

Regulatory and legal outcomes

1. 3 June 2014US District Court, Northern District of Iowa. Austin (Jack) DeCoster, owner of Quality Egg, and Peter DeCoster, its chief operating officer, each pleaded guilty to one count of introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce. Quality Egg LLC pleaded guilty to bribery of a public official, introducing misbranded food into interstate commerce with intent to defraud and introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce, according to DOJ.²
2. 13 April 2015US District Court, Northern District of Iowa (Judge Mark W. Bennett). Austin and Peter DeCoster were each sentenced to three months in prison, one year of supervised release and a 100,000 dollar fine. Quality Egg was fined 6.79 million dollars and placed on three years of probation. The three defendants were ordered to pay 83,008.19 dollars in restitution, according to DOJ.²
3. 6 July 2016US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. The Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court judgments, including the prison sentences.³

Sources

1. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Investigation Update: Multistate Outbreak of Human Salmonella Enteritidis Infections Associated with Shell Eggs (Final Update) (2 December 2010)
2. US Attorney's Office, Northern District of Iowa, Quality Egg, Company Owner and Top Executive Sentenced in Connection with Distribution of Adulterated Eggs (13 April 2015)
3. US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (via Justia), United States v. DeCoster, No. 15-1890 (8th Cir. 2016) (6 July 2016)