Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., the largest producer of fresh eggs in the United States, announced on Tuesday the temporary suspension of production at a Texas plant following the detection of bird flu in chickens. Furthermore, officials revealed that the virus had also been identified at a poultry facility in Michigan.
Based in Ridgeland, Mississippi, Cal-Maine Foods disclosed in a statement that approximately 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets—equivalent to about 3.6% of its total flock—were euthanized after avian influenza was confirmed at a facility in Parmer County, Texas. Situated on the Texas-New Mexico border in the Texas Panhandle, the affected plant lies approximately 85 miles southwest of Amarillo and 370 miles northwest of Dallas. Cal-Maine noted that its primary market encompasses the Southwestern, Southeastern, Midwestern, and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.
The company emphasized its close collaboration with federal, state, and local government agencies, as well as focused industry groups, to mitigate the risk of future outbreaks and manage the response effectively.
Cal-Maine Foods stated, “Cal-Maine Foods is working to secure production from other facilities to minimize disruption to its customers.”
Amid concerns, the company assured consumers that eggs currently available in the market carry no known risk of bird flu, and no recalls have been initiated