A 2018–19 outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) linked to eggs, resulting in 245 reported illnesses across four states, prompted the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to review egg safety measures.
The food authority found that current safeguards are inadequate to manage the risks posed by SE and other Salmonella strains, and is therefore proposing amendments to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.
Key amendments affecting retail and consumers
Firstly, FSANZ proposes that all eggs sold to retailers or caterers must be individually marked to identify their producer.
This would speed up traceability during foodborne illness outbreaks, allowing for faster containment.
The identifier must be directly on the egg, as cartons are often discarded or reused, particularly at farmers markets, making them unreliable for traceability.
Secondly, FSANZ also proposes defining and banning the sale of broken eggs, following industry concerns that some producers still supply cracked or leaking eggs, which pose food safety risks.
Thirdly, new temperature control measures would require eggs to be stored and transported under conditions that prevent spoilage and microbial growth.
Jurisdictions may apply these controls flexibly, such as during SE outbreaks or heatwaves. Egg handlers would need to understand and manage these risks accordingly.
FSANZ’s proposal does not mandate specific temperatures or timelines, giving egg processors flexibility in how they meet the safety standards.
Processors must monitor both the temperature and duration of egg storage and transport to prevent unsafe conditions.
“This lack of prescription provides egg processors with flexibility in how they manage food safety risks associated with the transport and storage of eggs and egg product. It provides flexibility to respond to issues that may arise such as periods of high temperatures, local flock infections with Salmonella Enteritidis, and the risk posed by growth of pathogenic micro-organisms during storage or transport of egg product,” wrote FSANZ in its proposal.
Industry considerations
FSANZ is also weighing mandatory refrigeration of eggs throughout the supply chain. While this could effectively curb microbial growth, it may impose significant costs on small retailers lacking refrigeration capacity.
Medium and large retailers may also face higher expenses, especially for refrigerated display units. Additional energy and maintenance costs would follow, though these have yet to be quantified.
As a result, FSANZ does not currently support prescribing a fixed storage or transport temperature.
However, if SE becomes more widespread in the future, refrigeration could become a necessary safeguard to protect public health.
FSANZ acknowledges the likely compliance costs — including environmental monitoring and recordkeeping — but points out that these are justified to prevent larger expenses linked to managing future outbreaks.
Shortcomings of current regulations
The current regulations were set in 2012, when vertically transmittable SE was not detected in Australian flocks at that time.
There are no specific rules for in-store egg storage, and it’s common to find eggs kept at room temperature in supermarkets.
The current industry practice is to store eggs at or below 15°C, and label cartons with the recommendation that eggs should be refrigerated once purchased.
Current risk management activities such as visual inspection of eggs for cracks and leakage, traceability of eggs in the supply chain, and prohibiting the sale of cracked and dirty eggs are not sufficient to manage SE risks.
FSANZ found that Australia records some of the highest rates of Salmonella-related foodborne illness among comparable countries, with incidents rising over the past two decades.
Therefore, the proposed amendments are aimed at enhancing the safety of eggs and egg products across Australia.
“Our proposed changes build on existing biosecurity and food safety measures to further reduce the risk of Salmonella Enteritidis and strengthen traceability throughout the supply chain.
“These evidence-based amendments will help to minimise risks to public health, improve the response to potential outbreaks and support nationally consistent regulation,” said FSANZ CEO Dr Sandra Cuthbert.
