Home / Health / Washington Egg Inspections Missed by 97% Amid Health Risks
Washington Egg Inspections Missed by 97% Amid Health Risks
31 Jul
Summary
- Hundreds of inspections at egg plants were missed over two years.
- Health risks to consumers are increased due to missed inspections.
- The agency cites understaffing and outdated regulations for failures.
A recent state audit revealed that Washington's Department of Agriculture failed to conduct hundreds of mandated inspections at egg production and packing facilities over the past two years, raising consumer health concerns. Between state fiscal years 2024 and 2025, the department completed only 3% of required quarterly inspections for egg packing plants and fell short of its annual targets for egg production plants.
The audit highlighted an increased risk of contaminated eggs reaching consumers due to these inspection lapses. In 2024, only 13 out of 165 inspections were completed, and in 2025, a mere two out of 294 were finalized. This pattern of underinspection has persisted for at least four years, with a previous audit in 2024 reaching similar conclusions.
The Department of Agriculture stated that it lacks sufficient staff to meet current inspection frequencies, which are stricter than federal requirements. The agency is working on updating state regulations and suggests exempting smaller egg packers with fewer than 3,000 hens, which would reduce the number of required inspections to fewer than 10 plants.
