July 9, 2009
US FDA announces new egg safety regulation
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a new regulation that aims to reduce the number of illnesses caused by salmonella-contaminated eggs.
The regulation requires the egg industry to take specific precautions to ensure safety during production, storage and transport. Egg producers are also required to register with FDA and to maintain a prevention plan and records to prove their compliance.
The regulation will not apply to producers with fewer than 3,000 laying hens, as they account for less than one percent of US eggs. The regulation also does not apply to producers who sell all of their eggs directly to consumers.
Producers who treat their eggs to destroy salmonella, or who process their eggs into egg products, need to comply only with the parts of the regulation addressing refrigeration and registration.
FDA requires all producers who must comply with the regulation to do so between 12 and 36 months after issuance of the regulation, depending on the size of the operation.
The move was taken because salmonella is a major cause of foodborne illness in the US, with the consumption of raw or undercooked eggs as an important source of salmonella infections in people, the FDA said.
About 142,000 illnesses each year are caused by consuming salmonella-contaminated eggs, according to FDA estimates.
The new regulation is expected to reduce the salmonella risk by nearly 60 percent per year or 79,000 illnesses and 30 deaths.
