Before salmonella outbreak, egg firm had long record of violations

[UpInArms]

Source: Washington Post

The Iowa egg producer that federal officials say is at the center of a salmonella outbreak and recalls of more than a half-billion eggs has repeatedly paid fines and settled complaints over health and safety violations and allegations ranging from maintaining a "sexually hostile work environment" to abusing the hens that lay the eggs.

In the past 20 years, according to the public record, the DeCoster family operation, one of the 10 largest egg producers in the country, has withstood a string of reprimands, penalties and complaints about its performance in several states, including Maryland.

In June, for instance, the family agreed to pay a $34,675 fine stemming from allegations of animal cruelty against hens in its 5 million-bird Maine operation. An animal rights group used a hidden camera to document hens suffocating in garbage cans, twirled by their necks , kicked into manure pits to drown and hanging by their feet over conveyer belts.

<snip>

DeCoster owns Wright County Egg in Iowa, which last week recalled 380 million eggs distributed nationwide. A federal investigation into 26 outbreaks of salmonella enteritidis, the second-leading cause of food-borne illness, found that 15 of the outbreaks pointed to Wright County Egg.

The DeCoster family also has close ties to Hillandale Farms of Iowa, which on Friday recalled 170 million eggs distributed to 14 states in the Midwest and West after scientists in Minnesota linked one salmonella outbreak to Hillandale. Wright County Egg and Hillandale share supplies of young chickens and feed, and the DeCoster family is the major backer of Ohio Fresh Eggs, which is the largest operation in that state and is co-owned by Hillandale's founder.


Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/21/AR2010082102822.html?hpid=topnews

[Critters2]

1. Here's more info about DeCoster:

http://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/2010/08/articles/food-poisoning-information/wright-county-egg-owner-has-long-history-of-violations/

[mike r]

2. A multistate business empire built on greed and abuse

Sadly, not much will happen to them. Peanut Corp. of America killed several people over a year ago, and not much has happened to its owner.

[lunasun]

3. BUY cage free /free range chicken eggs......local/organic if ya can get too

Chickens whose eggs are farmed organically are always free range, and they are always fed an organic diet.
When you see the conditions that these caged prisons farm eggs in, how can disease NOT be present???

[UpInArms]

4. I have 3 lovely free ranging hens with a terrific coop in my backyard

providing me with salmonella-free eggs.

[SoCalNative]

9. In California soon

well..2015..ALL eggs sold in the state must come from cage-free hens

[petronius]

28. It's not exactly 'cage free' though, right? I thought the law extended the

requirements of Prop 2 to imported eggs, but the birds can still be in individual cages. I'd guess the Prop 2 requirements are better for the birds than just 'cage free', since cage free chickens can still be crammed together in big pens...

[fasttense]

11. Organic eggs can be very expensive in some areas.

I would recommend simply buying from a small local farmer who does not cage the chickens.

We have 20 plus chickens and hatched 20 more this summer. They must be closed down tight at night so the coyotes don't kill them. The organic feed we would have to buy is almost 5 times more in price than the regular feed. So, what we would have to charge for our eggs would be too high for our local area if we used organic feed.

That said, most our chickens get their dietary needs filled from bugs, grubs and worms that they eat while they wonder about our property.

Our eggs are not organic but they are as close to organic as we can afford to do.

That said, our salmonella free eggs are selling like hot cakes.

[frontrange]

18. Put pressure on those responsible

These dirty, hell-holes exist in small towns across the country because they are welcomed and subsidized by the local county commissions and sanctioned by state and government regulators. Political and economic pressure should be brought to bear on those who allow this filthy business.

Here is the company's contact info:

http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Decoster.Egg.Farms.of.Iowa.515-532-2392

Here is the website for the other business that is involved:

http://www.hillandalefarms.com/

Here is the county that welcomes the criminals:

http://www.wrightcounty.org/#

These are the nice, all-American communities that get illegal aliens to work in their hell-holes and then bitch about the Mexicans in their towns.

[Critters2]

27. Wright County citizens have fought tooth and nail to keep out

the factory farms. The fault is at the state level. In Iowa, thanks to lobbying by the meat and egg industries, local zoning boards and other county jurisdictions have NO SAY in the location of factory farms.

Jack DeCoster is NOT from Wright County, and is loathed by everyone I know there. And I never knew anyone who complained about undocumented workers. People saw them as victims, along with the communities, the chickens and hogs, and the environment of rural Iowa. It was the assholes in Des Moines who wouldn't stand up to the likes of DeCoster. I did organizing in Wright County, and it was always a painful, uphill battle.

Jack DeCoster is deeply hated in Wright County Iowa. Your claiming otherwise means you don't know shit.

[Anakin Skywalker]

5. "Let's deregulate!", always the wise CONservative solution

[mike r]

6. Five women were raped by DeCoster supervisors, no criminal charges filed:

http://www.globegazette.com/news/local/article_36a24bf5-c029-5e91-b012-1eea75e244a1.html

October 1, 2002
DeCoster settles rape, sex suit

CLARION - DeCoster Farms settled a federal discrimination lawsuit for $1.5 million Monday. The suit was filed on behalf of 11 Hispanic women who said they were raped or sexually harassed while working at North Iowa egg plants. DeCoster Farms, which did not admit liability, will pay $1.5 million to the women who worked at its plants in Wright County, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a press release.

Five alleged rape victims will get $200,000 each, $300,000 will be divided among six alleged victims of sexual harassment and $125,000 will be held for alleged victims who come forward later, said Jean Kamp, an EEOC regional attorney in Milwaukee. The Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which filed the discrimination charge with the EEOC, will receive $100,000. The EEOC filed its lawsuit in August 2001 against DeCoster Farms and Iowa Ag-Construction Co., which recruits workers for several egg farms in northern Iowa.

The lawsuit claimed that the women, who worked as egg packers at four DeCoster farm sites, were raped by supervisors who threatened to have them fired or killed if they did not submit. In January 2002, the EEOC determined that some supervisors employed by DeCoster Farms sexually assaulted and harassed female employees, especially those of Mexican and other Hispanic origin. Some of the women were undocumented workers and were threatened with retaliation if they complained, the EEOC said.

Kamp said none of the men have been criminally charged...

[Critters2]

25. I was on the board of the local domestic violence shelter when this happened.

Our staff worked their asses off to get these women to come forward and file the suits. We were sure there were more, but DeCosters managers kept telling them they'd be deported if they reported the crimes. And DeCoster knew about all of it. The man is evil.

[joefassler]

31. re: I was on the board of the local domestic violence shelter when this happened.

Hi, I'm writing an article on this topic--would you be willing to speak with me by phone about the female Decoster employees you've worked with? Please let me know what you think.

[joefassler]

33. re:

Hi Critters2--any chance you'll speak to me about your experiences working in Wright County for an article on the topic?

[Wilms]

7. See Jack Decoster: The Despicable man behind the Salmonella Outbreak

DUer Crystal Clarity put up this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8981215&mesg_id=8981215

[Wilms]

8. (Maine Human) Rights Commission to Hear (Religious) Bias Case Against DeCoster

Rights commission to hear bias case against DeCoster
Staff report

Portland Press Herald

Saturday, May 5, 2007

A Maine Human Rights Commission investigator has found reasonable grounds for a manager's claim that he was fired from his job at DeCoster farms because he's an atheist.

The backing of the investigator bolsters Cacy Cantwell's case, which is expected to go before the full commission, said Patricia Ryan, executive director.

snip

Cantwell, who was provided housing he shared with a non-married partner, said he was criticized by Austin "Jack" DeCoster, a devout Christian, who didn't approve of the living arrangement.

On another occasion, DeCoster brought up God, and Cantwell said he was an atheist. Cantwell told the investigator that DeCoster put his hand on his shoulder and told him: "I can't have someone like you here. We might need to part ways."

http://business.mainetoday.com/news/070505briefcase.html?sort=ASC

[happi1]

12. hug

:)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU7XsoQXSW8

[jpak]

21. Jack DeCoster is a fundamentalist Xian and pastor of the church he built

This is the Maine our wonnerful idiot GOP gubernatorial candidate (LePage) wants us to live in.

No environmental regulations

No food safety regulations

No labor regulations

No freedom of religion

Below poverty wages for all

yup

[Wilms]

23. You meant "a-yup". Right?

:hi:

[valerief]

10. DeCoster, the BP of Eggs. nt

[Maine-ah]

13. Supplier in egg recall has history of violations in Maine

Source: BDN

WASHINGTON — Two Iowa farms that together recalled more than half a billion potentially tainted eggs this month share close ties, including suppliers of chickens and feed.

Both farms are linked to businessman Austin "Jack" DeCoster, who has been cited for numerous health, safety and employment violations over the years. DeCoster owns Wright County Egg, the original farm that recalled 380 million eggs Aug. 13 after they were linked to more than 1,000 reported cases of salmonella poisoning.

Another of his companies, Quality Egg, supplies young chickens and feed to both Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms, the second farm that recalled another 170 million eggs a week later.

Jewanna Porter, a spokeswoman for the egg industry, said the two companies share other suppliers as well, but she did not name them.

Read more: http://www.bangordailynews.com/story/Lewiston-Auburn/Supplier-in-egg-recall-has-history-of-violations-in-Maine,151933

[endless october]

14. it's past time to start looking at food irradiation.

it's done in other countries. problems like this would be eliminated by it. it's safe and effective.

i am aware that there are a whole bunch of spooky arguments against it. i find Salmonella Enteritidis a lot more spooky.

[BumRushDaShow]

16. However

implementing something like that would then serve as justification to continue these sorts of horrid business and husbandry practices that have escalated in the food industry since Raygun. The proliferation of corporate mega-farms have lead to the demise of "locally grown" smaller farms that could have easily (and collectively) provided the quantity required in a particular locaity without the need for excessive shipping and handling.

To use a cliche pun - the "chickens are coming home to roost". :banghead:

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. Another reson we are getting our own chickens next spring.

Altho we probably don't eat a more than 3 dozen eggs a year.

[Gormy Cuss]

19. I should've known the egg problem was connected to DeCoster.

DeCoster was a wretched company back when I was a kid. I knew people who worked for them.

[Critters2]

26. I knew it the minute they said "Galt, IA". Had to be DeCoster. nt

[jpak]

20. I worked at DeCoster Egg Farms - what goes on there is beyond description

Jack be Nimble

Jack be Quick

Jack DeCoster

etc.

:evilgrin:

[joefassler]

30. re: I worked at DeCoster Egg Farms - what goes on there is beyond description

Hi Jpak, I'm a reporter working on this topic and would like to talk to Decoster employees past or present. Would you be willing to speak with me about the article? Any other former/current Decoster workers out there? If you've worked at Decoster or Wright County Egg and would like to speak about your experiences, please PM me. Thanks.

[harvey007]

17. Shut 'em down!

Any government agency that allows this kind of criminal enterprise to continue is criminal itself. Shut 'em down!

This is what commercial egg production looks like. It's not just the DeCoster operation.

http://www.mercyforanimals.org/maine-eggs/

When you eat eggs that come from facilities like this, you are poisoning yourself.

[SOS]

22. Corporate criminals

simply accept the "reprimand", pay the fine and continue their vile practices.
How many have to die before this dirtbag has his assets seized and auctioned?

[supernova]

24. Didn't realize we had an egg monopoly

in this country.

I've been buying CF/organic for several years now, but wow, didn't realize the egg industry had been wal-marted.

:crazy:

[Codeine]

29. Every aspect of factory farming has been Walmarted.

Cruelty is some profitable shit.

[Kingofalldems]

32. Special Prosecutor needed---this is huge.