FDA WARNING_LETTER - Lathem Family Farms, Inc. - April 21, 2023

The FDA issued a Warning Letter to Wayne Poultry Road, Pendergrass, GA, following an inspection from April 17-21, 2023, which revealed serious violations of the Prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) in Shell Eggs regulation (21 CFR Part 118). Environmental samples from poultry houses tested positive for Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Salmonella Braenderup. Whole genome sequencing indicated a resident strain of Salmonella Enteritidis matching clinical isolates from 2019, 2021, and 2023, and Salmonella Typhimurium matching 26 clinical isolates from 2020-2022, demonstrating their capability to cause human illness.

Violations included failure to implement a written SE prevention plan, specifically regarding biosecurity measures to prevent the introduction or transfer of SE. Investigators observed live animals (fox, cat) and multiple ingress points (door gaps, holes, burrows) in poultry houses. The firm also failed to properly clean and disinfect poultry houses after positive SE environmental tests, with manure not fully removed and no post-sanitation environmental sampling. Additionally, the firm did not remove debris and vegetation inside and outside poultry houses that could harbor pests, with observations of flies, spilled feed, deceased rodents, and an unmaintained storage building acting as a pest attractant.

These violations render the shell eggs adulterated under the FD&C Act. The