For Your Information: Recall and Egg Safety/Questions and Answers
1. Aren’t there safeguards in the egg industry to assure these things don’t happen?
Yes. The U.S. egg industry has a long and demonstrated commitment to food safety programs and uses tough food safety measures to help protect against food-borne illness. Chief among these methods are modern, sanitary housing systems; stringent rodent control and bio-security controls; vaccination against Salmonella Enteriditis; cleaning and sanitizing of hen houses and farms; and testing. Additionally, America’s egg farmers are committed to working closely with the Food and Drug Administration to ensure recent egg safety regulations are properly implemented and the gains in food safety the industry has worked for decades to achieve are maintained.
2. How can we be sure all affected eggs are being removed from the marketplace?
All U.S. egg farmers are required to keep stringent records of their flocks and production. Whether it be the result of a positive egg test or the result of a trace back from an illness, egg producers immediately alert retailers and the FDA to the possibility of an adulterated egg entering the marketplace. A voluntary recall is then conducted according to the egg packaging’s unique identification codes. Retailers then remove the eggs from the shelves and customers who may have purchased eggs are asked to return the affected eggs for a full refund. For an up-to-date list of recalled eggs please go to www.eggsafety.org.
3. How does salmonella contaminate an egg?
Salmonella bacteria are found in the intestinal tracts of animals, birds, reptiles, insects and humans. Salmonella may be found on the outside of the egg shell before the egg is washed or it may be found inside the egg if the hen was infected. It is estimated that one egg in 20,000 eggs may contain Salmonella which is a 0.005% contamination rate. Eggs contain natural antimicrobial substances in the egg white, and all eggs from commercial producers are washed and sanitized before they are packed. Egg recipes properly prepared in individual servings and promptly eaten are rarely a problem. Inadequate refrigeration, improper handling and insufficient cooking are all factors that have contributed to disease outbreaks. Salmonella is destroyed by heat. Eggs that have been handled and cooked properly should not cause human illness.
4. Are there vaccines against Salmonella Enteriditis and how are they used?
Yes. Vaccination programs are often used to help decrease hen’s susceptibility to naturally occurring Salmonella. In food safety programs used today, vaccines are one of the many measures taken to reduce SE prevalence within the hen and the hen’s environment. Unfortunately, there are many different subtypes of the bacteria and one vaccine cannot protect against all subtypes. Just as in humans with a seasonal flu shot, vaccination is not a guarantee that all variants of an infection can be prevented. For this reason, when vaccination programs are used in the U.S. egg laying industry it is part of a larger program designed to decrease the prevalence of Salmonella Enteriditis.
5. Doesn’t the industry use antibiotics to avoid bacteria such as SE?
The U.S. egg industry does not use antibiotics as a preventative measure. In fact, if antibiotics are required for a hen due to an illness, the hen is taken out of egg production while undergoing treatment.
6. Is it safe to eat eggs from caged hens?
Yes. Cages provide an effective method of separating waste from the animal and the egg, thereby reducing the probability of disease transmission. U.S. egg farmers employ stringent food safety measures to help protect against food-borne illness and chief among these methods is modern, sanitary housing systems such as caged housing.
7. If cages allow for more hens in a given space doesn’t that mean more opportunity for disease transmission?
No. While cage systems allow for more efficient use of space and increased population numbers within a given barn, the modern cage housing system effectively separates the flocks into smaller, more easily managed groups – typically 6 to 8 birds in a cage. These smaller flocks are easier to manage and reduce the possibility of widespread disease transmission. Additionally, studies have shown that caged housing systems reduce stress on the hens which positively impacts hen’s immune system function.
8. Are cage-free or free range eggs safer than eggs from caged hens?
No. When managed properly, all three systems provide safe, quality eggs. However, past studies have demonstrated a reduction of disease with the removal of feces from the bird’s environment. Of all three systems – cage, cage-free and free range – cage housing is the most effective at separating waste from the hen and egg.
9. Has the European Union seen a reduction in cases of Salmonella Enteriditis since moving from traditional cage systems to enriched cages* and cage-free systems?
During the transition from traditional cages to enriched cage and cage-free systems, the European Centre for Disease Prevention has indicated a reduction in the incidence of human illness caused by SE. Studies have been conducted in EU member states to observe the levels of SE in and on the newly established enriched cage and cage-free housing systems. While European studies have shown a decline in both human infections and SE prevalence on farm, this information cannot be linearly applied to the housing systems used in the United States. Although some similarities in production techniques do exist, the EU and U.S. egg industries differ significantly enough that comparison of findings becomes difficult. For instance, in the U.S. it has been found that the prevalence of SE is greater in cage-free systems than cage. In the EU this has been found to be the opposite. There are factors related to climate, housing, management practices, hen breeds, differences in vaccination routines, and others variables that can account for these differences.
*Enriched cages are similar to traditional cage housing systems but feature additional components within the cage that allow for expression of natural behaviors. These additional elements include perches, nest boxes, scratch areas.
Source:
United Egg Producers
www.eggsafety.org