North America imports eggs from China

Thank you to Melamine Blog reader Persephone for pointing out a Wall Street Journal article about eggs from China. The article portrays a chart with figures from the Ministry of Commerce, China, indicating that from January to August 2008 6.5% of eggs exported from China went to North America. The WSJ article was posted on Oct. 31, 2008. I would like to know where in North America those eggs went; I have not read anything more specific yet. Perhaps it's because so many of these eggs were consumed. Similar to what happened with the tainted wheat, pork and chicken last year. It's really a shame. 

When the egg situation was revealed I wanted to know more; to learn everything I could. I didn't know exactly where to start looking for answers about eggs, so on October 27th I wrote to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (since I live in California). I wrote:

I would like to know if California (or other states) import eggs or egg products (including dried eggs) from China, for sale in grocery stores, for use in processed foods by US food manufacturers, or for use in the food service industry. If so, does the CDFA or the USDA have plans to test these eggs for melamine? If so, when will the results be publicized? Also, does the CDFA or the USDA have any plans to require farms in California, and throughout the US, to use animal feed that is free from any melamine or melamine-related additive? Is there a way to find out which egg producing farms use melamine in their animal feed? Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.

I received two replies from the CDFA; one from the Div. of Inspection Services Egg Quality Control Program:

Thank you for your question. At this time, California imports shell eggs from other states. Egg products such as liquid eggs, dried eggs, (powdered eggs), etc....are handled by USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) and you would need to contact them for the answer to your question. You will be receiving an answer to your feed question from someone in our feed program. If you have any other questions, please contact us. 

and one from the Animal Health Branch:

Our Ag. Code & Regs. only deal with egg quality, labeling, size, & refrigeration. We don't get into cage sizes and animal movement. You can go to the following web sight and go to the shell egg quality control program section. http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/regulations.html. You can also try this web site, California producers take part in it. http://www.uepcertified.com/. Thank you, Animal Health Branch.

Wouldn't adulterated eggs - eggs with melamine - be considered "egg quality"? Well, after receiving those replies I wrote to the USDA - specifically the FSIS. I asked the same questions. I have not received any reply.
And I'll be reading and re-reading regulations. Again, thank you for your comments here at the Melamine Blog. Keep them coming.