Sweden Orders Largest Egg Producer to Euthanize All Chickens Amid Recurring Salmonella Outbreaks

Culling Comes After Failed Attempts to Clean Facilities at CA Cedergren, Which Accounts for 20% of Sweden's Laying Hens; Eggs Rerouted to Food Industry for Heat Treatment to Eliminate Salmonella

• Sweden's largest egg producer, CA Cedergren, has been ordered to euthanize all of its roughly 1.2 million chickens following recurring salmonella outbreaks at its facilities, marking a drastic step after previous attempts at plant sanitation proved unsuccessful.
• CA Cedergren accounts for 20% of all laying hens in Sweden, making its loss a significant impact on the country's poultry industry.
• This culling order follows multiple events related to salmonella outbreaks at the company's premises; in April, all deliveries were halted after the bacteria were found in the packing room, and in August, 340,000 chickens were culled after two hen houses were infected.
• There has been no immediate comment from CA Cedergren about the mass culling order; the number of chickens to be euthanized is yet to be specified.
• Despite the culling, the industry spokesperson, Marie Lönneskog Hogstadius, ensured that the average consumer would not be affected as the eggs from CA Cedergren are redirected to the food industry where they undergo heat treatment to kill any present salmonella pathogens.

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