The Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship (IDALS) announced that it will resume inspections of state-inspected egg handlers on June 1, 2016. The announcement came after the U.S. Food & Drug Administration also announced plans to resume inspections of federally licensed egg handling facilities starting on June 1.

FDA temporarily suspended inspection of federal licensed facilities last spring during the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Iowa and 20 other states. IDALS followed the lead of FDA and also suspended inspections last spring out of an abundance of caution to ensure that department employees would not serve as a potential source of disease spread.

IDALS inspectors have all received additional training on appropriate biosecurity on visiting livestock and poultry farms and will continue to follow rigorous biosecurity protocols as part of the inspections to help ensure animal health.

IDALS  inspects egg handlers that package eggs from licensed facilities housing fewer than 3,000 birds. Larger houses, with 3,000 or more birds, and their packaging facilities are licensed by FDA and subject to FDA inspections.