The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a regulation expected to prevent each year approximately 79,000 cases of foodborne illness and 30 deaths caused by consumption of eggs contaminated with the bacterium Salmonella Enteritidis.
The regulation requires preventive measures during the production of eggs in poultry houses and requires subsequent refrigeration during storage and transportation.
Egg-associated illness caused by Salmonella is a serious public health problem. Infected individuals may suffer mild to severe gastrointestinal illness, short term or chronic arthritis, or even death. Implementing the preventive measures would reduce the number of Salmonella Enteritidis infections from eggs by nearly 60 percent.
The rule requires that measures designed to prevent Salmonella Enteritidis be adopted by virtually all egg producers with 3,000 or more laying hens whose shell eggs are not processed with a treatment, such as pasteurization, to ensure their safety.
Details about the regulation can be found below.
- Final Rule: Prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis in Shell Eggs During Production, Storage, and Transportation
- Testing methodology for Salmonella Enteritidis (SE)
- Eggs Guidance Documents & Regulatory Information
- Public Meetings
- Egg Rule At A Glance
- Egg Safety Inspections
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