COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio regulators are disputing a claim by the Human Society of the United States, which alleged that farms in the state are producing 350,000 eggs a year that are contaminated with salmonella.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture says data indicate that Ohio farms produce about 35,000 bad eggs annually, a tiny percentage of the 7 billion eggs produced here each year.
State lab director Dr. Beverly Byrum credits the agency's quality testing program. Although the program is voluntary, about 95 percent of egg producers participate.
Dr. Michael Greger, the Humane Society's top medical expert, says he's skeptical of the state's figures.
Figures by the U.S. Agriculture Department also point to higher rates of salmonella contamination.
