The Food and Drug Administration conducted inspections this week of Wright County Egg, Hillandale Farms, and their distributor Quality Egg -- all farms that the FDA found to be sources of the recent spike in salmonella-related illnesses.

The reports filed by FDA inspectors noted the presence of rats and mice, cockroaches, maggots and even 8-foot walls of manure that had accumulated under the chicken house floors.

You can read the entire reports for Quality Egg and Hillandale Farms online. Fair warning: Accounts of farm conditions are not for the squeamish reader.

Both Wright County Egg and Quality Egg are owned and operated by Peter Decoster, who has had several past run-ins with officials over health, environmental and employee treatment issues.

Read more:

• FDA reports on rats, manure piles at egg recall companies (USA Today)
• After a half billion bad eggs get released, the FDA reveals filthy conditions of Wright County Egg (Grist)

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