Bird flu forces Cal-Maine to halt production at facility

RIDGELAND, MISS. — Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. has halted production at one of its facilities in Kansas due to the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The announcement comes a week after Post Holdings said two of its Michael Foods’ third-party contracted egg-laying facilities in Iowa and Ohio tested positive for HPAI.

The outbreak affected approximately 684,000 laying hens, or about 1.6% of its total flock, according to Cal-Maine Foods. By comparison, the outbreak at the Michael Foods’ facilities affected approximately 4.2 million egg-laying hens, or about 10% of Michael Foods’ controlled supply, inclusive of owned and third-party contracted farms.

Cal-Maine Foods said it is working to secure production from other facilities to minimize disruption to its customers.

“There have been no positive tests for HPAI at any other Cal-Maine Foods locations to date,” the company said. “Cal-Maine Foods believes it has implemented and continues to maintain robust biosecurity programs across all its locations. Additional strict protocols are in place designed to prevent exposure from the Kansas facility to other locations, including the company’s nearby layer complex, which houses approximately one million hens. The company continues to work closely with federal, state and local government officials and focused industry groups to mitigate the risk of future outbreaks and effectively manage the response.”

Headquartered in Ridgeland, Cal-Maine oods is a producer and distributor of fresh shell eggs in the United States. It sells most of its shell eggs in states across the southwestern, southeastern, mid-western and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.