Federal officials have matched the Salmonella responsible for current egg recalls to bacteria found in barns and chicken feed at two major Iowa egg producing facilities. This has relaunched the debate over whether eggs from smaller, organic farms are safer.
Organic farmers argue that the conditions under which large agribusiness raises and houses chickens create an environment where bacteria can spread more easily. The birds are often kept in cages that are stacked closely next to and on top of each other
According to Life Science:
“‘The smaller the farm is, the lower the likeliness of Salmonella,’ said infectious disease specialist William Schaffner ... ‘The general thinking is that larger chicken farms are much more difficult to keep clean, and this makes it easier to transmit Salmonella.’”