TAINTED is now available at all major on-line book sellers, and reached #1 New Release status in its Amazon category on Launch Day, December 2nd.

A Short Excerpt

Something Rotten in the State of Iowa

The CDC first became aware of an unusual rise in Salmonella Enteritidis infections in July 2010. Epidemiological and traceback investigations pointed the finger of suspicion at two Iowa-based suppliers of shell eggs: Quality Egg, LLC (also known as Wright County Egg) and Hillandale Farms of Iowa, Inc.

Alerted by the CDC, the FDA began a detailed inspection of Quality Egg on August 12th. They encountered an egg-laying farm overrun with rodents and birds. Henhouses and buildings used to store feed grain were in a state of disrepair, with manure seeping through the concrete foundation of one of the laying houses. Uncaged chickens ambled across an eight-foot high pile of manure to access the egg-laying area.

The situation confronting inspectors when they began their inspection of Hillandale Farms on August 19th was just as bad. Uncaged hens tracked manure into the henhouses, some of which had structural damage. There was standing water adjacent to the manure pit, and liquid manure was leaking into one of the henhouses.

It surprised no one when environmental samples collected at both Quality Egg and Hillandale Farms tested positive for Salmonella Enteritidis.

Quality Egg announced a recall on August 13th, and expanded the scope of the recall on August 18th. Hillandale followed suit with its own recall notice on August 20th.