The FDA has released the warning letter it recently sent to Quality Egg, one of the facilities behind the massive egg recall in August. And while some things are redacted — mostly details from Quality’s plan to get back up to snuff — the letter contains more than its fair share of stomach-churning imagery.

Among the things that had us saying no to omelets this morning:

• The outside access doors to the manure pits had been pushed out by the weight of manure, leaving open access to wildlife and other animals.

• Non-chicken feathers were observed inside Layer 3, House 3. One live wild bird was observed flying above chicken cages inside Layer 1, House 9. Wild birds were observed flying inside and outside of Layer 1, Houses 11 and 12. Pigeons were observed roosting in an air vent where the screen was damaged on the south side of Layer 1, House 14.

• [Y]ou failed to properly bait and seal rodent burrows located along the second floor baseboards.

• Dark liquid which appeared to be manure was observed seeping through the concrete foundation to the outside of the laying houses.

• Live and dead flies too numerous to count were observed inside the following egg laying houses: Layer 1, Houses 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, and 12; Layer 2, Houses 7 and 11; Layer 3, Houses 3, 4,5,6, 7, 8, 15, 16, 17, and 18. The flies were observed on and around egg belts, feed, shell eggs and walkways in different sections of each egg laying house. In addition, live and dead maggots too numerous to count were observed on the manure pit floor at Layer 2, House 7.

• The entrance door to Layer 3, House 11 was blocked with excessive amounts of manure in the manure pits.

In the letter, the FDA warns Quality Egg, “Failure to take prompt corrective action may result in regulatory action being initiated by the Food and Drug Administration without further notice. These actions include, but are not limited to, seizure and/or injunction.”

Quality Egg LLC 10/15/10 [FDA.gov]

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