Anniversary of the National Egg Recall Reminds Egg Producers of the Importance of Food Safety Practices

Posted by | Safe Handling

This time last year the egg industry announced the voluntary recall of 550 million eggs that were distributed throughout 22 different states and Mexico. The recall was issued after epidemiologic investigations conducted by public health officials in California, Colorado, and Minnesota revealed several restaurants and events where more than one person fell ill with Salmonella Enteriditis. The information collected from these investigations suggested that shell eggs were the likely source of human illness.

Ever since the early 1990’s, egg producers have worked closely with federal and state agricultural officials as well as poultry scientists in academia and industry, veterinarians, and other industry experts to create and improve methods for the reduction of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) in the laying hen population. Over the past 20 years, states, industry trade groups, private companies and government entities have developed egg safety and quality assurance programs focused on measuring SE prevalence and designing SE prevention and control measures for all different types of egg operations across the United States. The recall of last year demonstrated that there were some gaps in the industry’s SE prevention measures that needed to be filled.

Since August 2010, egg producers have worked hand-in-hand with FDA and USDA to ensure compliance with new government egg safety regulations and within their own companies to further improve egg safety from the farm to the processing plant. The hard-work and dedication that goes into implementing egg safety programs demonstrates how serious egg producers take food safety and ensuring that consumers receive the safest, highest quality product possible.   

Krista Eberle
Director of Food Safety Programs
United Egg Producers