The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released the final guidance for shell egg producers about how to comply with certain provisions in the final rule titled, “Prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis in Shell Eggs During Production, Storage, and Transportation” (egg rule).
The final guidance entitled: “Prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis in Shell Eggs During Production, Storage, and Transportation (Layers with Access to Areas Outside the Poultry House): Questions and Answers Regarding the Final Rule,” is the fourth guidance from the FDA created with the objective to help industry comply with the egg rule.
In this document, producers will find several recommendations about how egg producers who allow hens access to areas outside the poultry house can meet requirements to prevent Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) from contaminating shell eggs on the farm.
A significant change from the draft guidance issued in July 2013 is that the FDA is designating a porch as an area outside the poultry house rather than part of the poultry house. The FDA made this change, in part, in response to comments submitted to the draft guidance.
The FDA believes that egg producers can provide laying hens with access to areas outside the poultry house, which includes:
- porches,
- outdoor runs and
- pastures
Egg producers must take steps to ensure there is no introduction or transfer of SE into or among poultry houses. They can achieve this by taking practical steps to control SE in the areas outside the poultry house to help ensure that SE will not be introduced into the poultry house.
Additionally, the document shows the
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