TURNER, Maine — There have been no prior reports of food safety violations at a southern Maine egg facility that was the subject of a recent Humane Society of the United States undercover operation facility, according to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.
But on Wednesday the department did release a statement confirming it has started an official investigation of the Turner egg production plant owned by Jack DeCoster and operated by Pennsylvania-based Hillandale Farms.
The animal rights group and Hillandale Farms separately requested the state investigation in the wake of the video released earlier this week showing chickens in inhumane and unsanitary conditions, according to John Bott, director of communications for the department.
In the meantime, Bott said eggs coming from the Turner facility are safe.
“The DACF has assessed whether there is any immediate threat to human health from the eggs produced at the Turner facility,” Bott said in a statement emailed to the media late Wednesday. “We have no evidence that would suggest or indicate the eggs coming from those facilities are unsafe for human consumption, [and as] always consumers are advised to continue normal handling and cooking practices.”
For four weeks in May, a whistleblower secretly videoed conditions in the Turner egg production facility.
That video was released Tuesday by the HSUS along with a report condemning the alleged animal cruelty.
Paul Shapiro, HSUS vice president, said Tuesday the video footage taken by the then-employee with a camera supplied by the HSUS showing chickens “crammed into cages, dead birds rotting in cages with live birds actually laying eggs on the dead birds, massive piles of dead chickens, birds with their heads stuck in cages dying from dehydration inches away from water, massive amounts of rodents [and] a numerous other horrors.”
In a statement released Tuesday by Hillandale Farms, a company spokesperson said the video had been reviewed and veterinarians, food safety personnel and quality assurance teams had been engaged to assure the facility was meeting or exceeding all animal health and food safety guidelines.
Bott said state inspectors are routinely present at the Turner site, constantly monitoring and testing for any increased levels of disease pathogens.
“To date, our records are complete and do not show abnormal levels,” he said.
