On July 7, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new regulation to improve egg safety.

By enforcing preventative measures during production as well as sufficient refrigeration during storage and transportation, this rule is expected to prevent 79,000 cases of foodborne illness and 30 deaths caused by Salmonella-contaminated eggs, reducing infections by nearly 60 percent.

What separates this regulation from the egg safety measures implemented by the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the 1990s is the emphasis on preventative measures, designed to prevent initial contamination.

The regulation affects every egg producer with at least 3,000 laying hens. Egg producers must comply within 36 months after the rule’s publication, while producers with 50,000 laying hens must comply with the rule within a year after the publication.

To prevent a significant amount of Salmonella contamination in advance, this regulation stipulates that egg producers must buy chicks and young hens from suppliers who monitor for Salmonella. The regulation also requires egg producers to establish rodent and pest control and biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of bacteria throughout the farm as well as conduct Salmonella Enteritidis testing in the poultry house.

If any Salmonella bacterium is found, the egg producers must test a representative sample over an 8 week span as well as clean and disinfect the poultry houses. Finally, the regulation specifies temperatures that the eggs must be refrigerated at afterwards, regardless of whether the eggs have already received pasteurization treatments or whether the eggs are being handled by distributors, packers, or truckers.

All substantial egg producers must register with the FDA, and maintain a written Salmonella Enteritidis prevention plan and records documenting their compliance with the regulation.