Chloe Nevarez disputes San Diego County health officials' link between Happy Hens Farm eggs and a local salmonella outbreak.
San Diego County health officials announced that eggs from Happy Hens Farm are the likely source of a salmonella outbreak that sickened 22 people and resulted in seven hospitalizations. The outbreak was traced back to unpasteurized eggs used to make mayonnaise at the Ramona Family Naturals Market. Chloe Nevarez, the owner of Happy Hens, expressed frustration with the findings, noting that the health department did not obtain a test sample from her farm. She argued that while nine of the ill individuals had the same genotyping, the lack of a direct test sample makes the connection to her farm null and void. Nevarez, who manages a flock of 14,000 organic birds, remains confident in the safety of her eggs and noted that the farm is currently facing a financial hit. The county is working with state and agriculture officials to continue the investigation. Meanwhile, the Ramona Family Naturals Market has stopped using raw, unpasteurized eggs in its deli products to prevent further contamination.