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Former egg company president admits selling old eggs blamed for Salmonella outbreak

Quality Egg LLC agreed Tuesday to pay a fine of almost $7 million for selling eggs linked to a Salmonella outbreak that sickened almost 2,000 people.

By Frances Burns
Austin DeCoster, owner of Wright County Egg, is sworn in prior to testifying on the recent salmonella egg outbreak during a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on the outbreak of salmonella in eggs, in Washington on September 22, 2010. UPI/Kevin Dietsch
Austin DeCoster, owner of Wright County Egg, is sworn in prior to testifying on the recent salmonella egg outbreak during a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on the outbreak of salmonella in eggs, in Washington on September 22, 2010. UPI/Kevin Dietsch | License Photo

SIOUX CITY, Iowa, June 3 (UPI) -- The former president of an Iowa egg company admitted Tuesday that Quality Egg LLC sold old eggs as fresh, causing a 2010 Salmonella outbreak.

The company also pleaded guilty before a federal magistrate in Sioux City and agreed to pay a $6.79 million fine. Quality Egg acknowledged paying bribes to officials and selling mislabeled eggs.

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Austin "Jack" DeCoster, 79, of Turner, Maine, and his son, Peter, 51, of Clarion, Iowa, pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor, selling contaminated food across state lines. They face fines of $100,000 each and up to a year in prison.

U.S. Magistrate Leonard Strand did not set a sentencing date and allowed the father and son to remain free on bail.

Almost 2,000 cases of Salmonella, a potentially deadly infection, were linked to Quality Egg, which also did business as Wright County Egg, and Hillandale Farms. The company recalled 550 million eggs.

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