Australia: Enhancing Egg Safety Standards
Following approval by the FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) Board, Australian food ministers are reviewing Proposal P1060, which seeks to update national standards for egg production and processing to maintain eggs as a safe and reliable food choice.
The proposed revisions aim to further mitigate the risk of Salmonella contamination, including Salmonella Enteritidis (SE), within the egg supply chain.
Key measures include environmental monitoring of poultry houses for SE to enable early farm-level detection, strengthened traceability systems to support rapid response to foodborne illness incidents, and stricter temperature controls during storage and transport to limit bacterial growth.
If endorsed by the food ministers, the revised standards will come into effect for egg producers and processors 18 months after gazettal.
