June 22, 2005

USDA: EC agrees to salmonella-reducing regulation
 

The Standing Committee on the Food Chain & Animal Health (SCFCAH) from the EC has approved a regulation which further strengthens the control of Salmonella in chicken breeding flocks. The proposed regulation will set strict standards for the maximum presence of Salmonella serotypes in chicken breeding flocks by the start of 2007.

Member states will be required to meet these standards by the end of 2009. It is to be expected that these standards will apply on U.S. exports of hatching eggs.

In the June 7-8 meeting of SCFCAH, member states approved a proposal for a Commission Regulation implementing Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council, which targets the reduction of the prevalence of certain salmonella serotypes in breeding flocks of Gallus gallus. 

The proposal should be applied from 1 July 2005, after which member states should have national control programs implemented by January 1, 2007. The EC target should be achieved by 31 December 2009. 

This proposed regulation would require a maximum of 1 percent of positive flocks with salmonella serotypes of public health significance (250 birds or more), by the end of 2009.

For the full USDA report, click here.