Congress seeks records from Maine egg farms with ties to owner of contaminated Iowa farm

Congress wants information from Maine egg farms

PORTLAND, Maine — Maine will soon see if its egg farm inspections withstand congressional scrutiny.

A congressional committee has requested inspection records and documents related to allegations of problems at farms with ties to Jack DeCoster, including several in Maine. The request follows a recall of 380 million eggs from an Iowa farm owned by DeCoster because of possible salmonella contamination.

State veterinarian Don Hoenig says he pushed for Maine’s rules because of salmonella found in chicken houses in the past in the state. He says no commercial farm buildings have tested positive since October 2009.

Hoenig says Maine has regulations that go beyond federal requirements. For example, Maine requires vaccinations of young birds for salmonella, follow-up tests to ensure the vaccinations worked, and stepped-up inspections and cleaning of buildings.