Wright County Egg

Wright County Egg (formerly DeCoster Egg Farms), based in Galt, Iowa, is one of the top ten egg producers in the United States,[1] with a flock of more than 15 million chickens.[2] The company also produces pork.

History

The company was founded by Austin "Jack" DeCoster as a teenager, when his father died, leaving the family with several hundred chickens.[2][3]

In the 1990s and 2000s the company was raided several times, and faced litigation, with respect to employment practices and hiring of illegal immigrant workers.[4][5] A number of grocery chains boycotted the company in the 1990s over concern for working conditions.[6]

In June 2010, DeCoster plead guilty to animal cruelty charges with respect to the conditions of the egg-laying hens, after Mercy for Animals, an animal rights organization forwarded undercover video footage of company facilities in Maine.[3][7] In August, 2010, the company recalled 380 million eggs in connection with a salmonella outbreak,[8] and a related company, Hillandale Farms, recalled 170 million eggs.[2]

References

  1. ^ Sandra Endo (2010-08-22). "Companies behind egg recall". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/08/22/nr.endo.egg.recall.cnn?hpt=T1. 
  2. ^ a b c Emily Friedman (2010-08-20). "Jack DeCoster, Hillandale Farms: Culprits in Massive Egg Recall? Salmonella Egg Recall Now Reaches 480 Million Eggs; 2,000 Report Illness". ABC. http://abcnews.go.com/Business/jack-decoster-man-egg-recall/story?id=11440513. 
  3. ^ a b Alec MacGillis (2010-08-22). "Before salmonella outbreak, egg firm had long record of violations". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/21/AR2010082102822.html?wprss=rss_print. 
  4. ^ Mary Clare Jalonick (2010-08-22). "Farms recalling eggs share suppliers, other ties". Associated Press. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/national/7167093.html. 
  5. ^ Thomas Beaumont (2006-02-10). "Bill aims to get immigrants off payrolls". Des Moines Register. http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060210/NEWS10/602100355/1011. 
  6. ^ "Egg farm conditions prompt grocer boycott". Associated Press. 2006-08-09. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Cu8gAAAAIBAJ&sjid=v3IFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6006,1685631&dq=decoster-egg-farms&hl=en. 
  7. ^ "Half a billion eggs have been recalled". CNN. 2010-08-20. http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/08/20/eggs.recall.salmonella/index.html. 
  8. ^ "CDC: Tainted eggs may have sickened hundreds in recent months". CNN. 2010-08-19. http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/08/19/eggs.recall.salmonella/index.html.