07.07.2009

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today 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 producers will also be required to register with FDA and to maintain a prevention plan and records to show they are following the regulation.
FDA took this action because SE is a major cause of foodborne illness in the United States.
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.