Mississippi-based egg producer Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., has put a temporary halt on production after bird flu was found in chickens at one of its Texas plants.
Per a press release on Tuesday, officials said the worst bird flu outbreak in U.S. history had also made its way into its Parmer County, Texas, location has resulted in the depopulation of approximately 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets – or 3.6 percent of the company’s total flock – so far.
In response, Cal-Maine is working with under protocols set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to secure production from other facilities to minimize disruption to its customers.
“There is no known risk related to HPAI associated with eggs that are currently on the market and no eggs have been recalled,” a portion of the statement from Cal-Maine reads. “The company continues to work closely with the federal, state, and local government officials and focused industry groups to mitigate the risk of future outbreaks and effectively manage the response.”
Cal-Maine was founded in Ridgeland in 1957 and is the nation’s largest fresh egg producer.
