22 hours Ago By [email protected] (Mariana Zapata)
People have gotten sick from consuming contaminated foods since time immemorial. But the industrialization of food has drastically changed the game. When something is contaminated today, it isn't just a few people who fall ill.
Since large companies distribute products to huge numbers of businesses and households, any issue can affect the health of thousands. This was the case of the largest food recall in United States history, which happened in 2010 and left an estimated 1,939 people sick. After investigating, public health officials traced the problem back to two culprits: Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms.
The food companies were located in Iowa and both sold eggs that were contaminated with salmonella. This bacteria is often found in animal products like raw meat, dairy products, and, of course, eggs. If you come in contact with it, it may cause salmonellosis.
People who contract it can suffer from diarrhea, fever, cramps, and vomiting. In most cases, the disease is uncomfortable but not life-threatening. Treatment mostly includes staying hydrated and giving your body time to expel the bacteria.
Unlucky victims, however, can react badly to salmonella and can suffer health complications for weeks or even months. The bacteria is particularly dangerous for people with weakened immune systems, like children, the elderly, and those with autoimmune diseases. Thankfully, there were no reported deaths linked to the 2010 egg outbreak.
How did the 2010 salmonella outbreak happen? Although mistakes are impossible to avoid, this outbreak was entirely the fault of unsanitary practices at both Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms. Investigations revealed shockingly dire conditions. The farms had live rodents in the facilities, so much accumulated feces that it came out of doorways, and dead chickens left to rot in the cages.
Unsurprisingly, both the animal feed and water used to wash eggs tested positive for salmonella at both farms. The worst part is that Wright County's owner company, DeCoster Farm, had previously been fined several times for health and environmental violations. The farm already had to pay $219,000 for its lack of sanitation, which seems like a small sum to charge for putting people's lives at risk.
After the scandal, Wright County Egg sold its operating facilities off to other companies, but at the time of writing, Hillandale Farms remains in business. You would think that after crises like this, food companies would get their act together. Sadly, it's been the opposite.
In fact, there has been a since 2020, partly because standards were loosened during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, in 2024 there was a and a related to the bird flu. Tragically, people even died from and .
We understand food always presents a risk, but companies clearly need to do better. Recommended.
