USDA Orders Foster Farms to Suspend Operations at Livingston Plant

Roaches, Not Salmonella Outbreaks Shut Down Plant

WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswomen Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Louise Slaughter (D-NY) released the following comment today on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s decision to order Foster Farms to suspend operations at their Livingston, CA plant. Despite being linked to hundreds of illnesses caused by a drug-resistant strain of Salmonella Heidelberg, it was a roach infestation that has finally provoked USDA to act.

“This day is long overdue,” DeLauro and Slaughter said. “The evidence that Foster Farms chicken has sickened over 500 people is overwhelming. Earlier action by USDA could have saved many families the heartache of seeing their loved ones suffer.

“USDA has said they did not have the authority to shut down Foster Farms, despite repeated outbreaks. We are exploring options to ensure they have clear authority to do so, instead of hoping they find filth before they can shut down a plant they already know is a problem. Change must be made to protect Americans.”

USDA inspectors cited the Livingston plant for roaches several times in the past six months. Roaches are known carriers of Salmonella.

DeLauro is a former chairwoman of the subcommittee responsible for funding the Department. Slaughter, the senior Democrat on the House Rules Committee, is a microbiologist and has worked to stop the spread of antibiotic resistance by curbing the overuse of antibiotics in food animals.