Largest US egg producer halts production at Texas plant after bird flu found in chickens
The largest producer of fresh eggs in the United States said it has stopped production at a Texas plant after bird flu was found in chickens there.
Ridgeland, Mississippi-based Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. said in a statement that approximately 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets, about 3.6 percent of its total flock, were destroyed after the infection, avian influenza, was found at the facility in Parmer County, Texas.
The plant is on the Texas-New Mexico border in the Texas Panhandle about 137 kilometres southwest of Amarillo and about 595 kilometres northwest of Dallas.
READ MORE: Why browsing in incognito mode doesn't always protect you
A carton of eggs sits on a kitchen counter. Egg producer Cal-Maine Foods has halted production at its Texas plant due to bird flu detections. AP
“The Company continues to work closely with federal, state and local government officials and focused industry groups to mitigate the risk of future outbreaks and effectively manage the response,” according to the statement.
"Cal-Maine Foods is working to secure production from other facilities to minimize disruption to its customers," the statement said.
The company said there is no known bird flu risk associated with eggs that are currently in the market and no eggs have been recalled.
READ MORE: Netanyahu says 'unintentional' Israeli strike killed Aussie
Eggs that are properly handled and cooked are safe to eat, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
The announcement by Cal-Maine comes a day after state health officials said a person had been diagnosed with bird flu after being in contact with cows presumed to be infected, and that the risk to the public remains low.
The human case marks the first known instance globally of a person catching this version of bird flu from a mammal, federal health officials said.
Dairy cows in Texas and Kansas were reported to be infected with bird flu last week — and federal agriculture officials later confirmed infections in a Michigan dairy herd that had recently received cows from Texas.
Cal-Maine sells the majority of its eggs in the Southwestern, Southeastern, Midwestern and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, the company said.
Share a tip-off, video or photo with us
Most viewed in World
US Politics LIVE updates: Saudi Arabia says it has shot down a Houthi drone near Mecca
‘I love you Daddy’: Frightened girl, 4, heard on CCTV before Bali double murder-suicide
Heartbreak as TV anchor announces on-air that colleagues were inside chopper that crashed in LA
‘Intent was to kill’: Woman’s terrifying collision with driver
