| There's more dirt on DeCoster. Recall that in 2000, Iowa named him a "habitual violator," a title that prevented him from opening any new livestock facilities for five years. So he got others to start a new business that couldn't be traced back to him. Then, once his habitual violator title was gone, he took ownership of it. (This is similar to what he did - but got caught for - in Ohio.)
He was also up to no good in Maryland, where the state tried to shut down an egg facility he had there. He sued, and won.
There are some other articles on DeCoster's criminal past in the LA Times and the Des Moines Register. I love the title of the Des Moines Register piece: "DeCosters in Iowa: A checkered legacy." Checkered? How about outright criminal?
Meanwhile, the egg industry says it's your fault if you get salmonella. What were you doing eating your eggs runny?
So are local eggs safer? Newsweek says "not necessarily." The article is kind of lame. All food carries some risk. Duh. But no small producer who only sells locally will cause 1400+ cases of salmonella across the country and tank the entire egg industry. |
