Minimum Requirements for Food Safety for Egg Production

A 10 point food safety plan was issued to egg producers. These points for good management practice must be strictly adhered to by egg producers.

1. It is illegal to sell cracked eggs for retail sale or for catering purposes.  It is essential that all eggs for sale must be candled to remove cracked eggs.  Cracked eggs must be disposed of or only sold to businesses to be pasteurised.
2. Minimise faecal contamination of feed and chlorinated water by using equipment which prevents birds perching above feed and chlorinated water supplies or is designed to prevent direct contamination.
3. Nests should be kept as clean as possible by removing faeces and broken eggs out of nests and cleaning nest pads.  Nest material must be kept topped up and fresh.
4. Collect eggs daily and more often in the event of increased floor eggs and/ or in the event of hot weather conditions.  Dirty or cracked eggs must be separated from clean eggs as soon as possible to minimise contamination.
5. Eggs must be collected and packed on clean cardboard packaging or clean and sanitised plastic packaging or clean and sanitised baskets to prevent contamination.
6. Dirty eggs must either be dry cleaned or washed and these procedures must be carried out very carefully to prevent the risk of increased contamination.
   (a)  Dry cleaned eggs must be cleaned using a dry, sanitised cloth and the cloth must be sanitised or exchanged on a regular basis to prevent cross contamination.
   (b)  Egg washing must be carried out with strict attention to water temperatures and effective sanitation.  Eggs must not be allowed to soak in the washing solution.  Eggs must then be immediately dried and cooled.  (Detailed procedures in industry Codes of Practice must be adhered to and the effectiveness of the process should be verified daily).
7. Cool all eggs immediately after collection.  Cool rooms should be set at 15ºC and be capable of maintaining this temperature.
8. Eggs offered for sale must be free of faeces, dirt and stains and must only be sold in clean and dry packaging.
9. There must be some method of identifying the source of all eggs offered for sale.
10. Premises and equipment for handling and storage of eggs must be maintained in a sanitised state fit for the production of food for human consumption.

For further information contact PIRSA Food Safety Program on 08 8207 7934.