In the last month the “girls” have been producing 8-9 eggs a day. They add up quickly and my neighbors are enjoying the extras. So I was thankful for our eggs this evening when today the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) recommended against eating any eggs produced by Daizen Farms of nearby Burlington, Washington. Hens that ate feed contaminated with rodent droppings apparently produced the eggs. Laboratory testing confirms that the feed contained Salmonella. In addition, the eggs were also packaged under insanitary conditions on the farm. WSDA inspectors observed rodent droppings inside an egg-washing machine during use.

Daizen Farm eggs are sold in 15-dozen flats and one-dozen consumer cartons. None of the egg packages contain any date. The WSDA warning applies to all eggs produced by Daizen Farms currently in food establishments or private homes. The one-dozen egg consumer cartons are labeled with the Daizen branding. These consumer cartons are most frequently sold to customers directly from the farm. The boxes containing the 15-dozen egg flats are not marked with any branding or other identifying information, a violation of state labeling requirements. The boxes are most frequently sold to independent Asian grocery stores and restaurants in Skagit, Snohomish, and King Counties.

To date, public health officials have linked no human illnesses to the eggs. Consumers are reminded to thoroughly cook all eggs, regardless of source, to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

So much for locally grown, small agirculture: