>From Rachel's Environment & Health Weekly (issue 555) which is published by
 Environmental Research Foundation, Box 5036, Annapolis, MD 21403.
(888)272-2435  email: [log in to unmask]

"Some chicken producers and egg producers, mostly in Arkansas, Texas, North
Carolina, Indiana, and a few in California have their products banned
temporarily due to high levels of dioxin.  Some congressional delegations
were able to get their district's producers removed from the FDA ban,
especially producers in Mississippi.

The source of the contaminations is feed.  Many commercial feed companies
add bentonite clay to reduce clumping which was contaminated with dioxin.
This clay was near a mine.

Dioxin is a class one carcinogen and is a byproduct from pesticide
manufacture, metal smelting, paper manufacturing, and the incineration of
medical and solid waste.  It is a very dangerous substance of which too
little is known.  There are less than two dozen labs in the US. able to
test for dioxin and it takes almost a month.  The ban was finally
"announced" last July 13 covering the 350ish producers."

Best, Peter
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PS. Supposedly the best eggs to be found in the natural food stores in Los
Angeles are the eggs from Rose Valley Farm in Washington State.  The farm
has an interesting web site at <http://www.rosevalley.com/eggs.html>