In association with Poultec Training Ltd
UK egg producers must now follow new salmonella rules. The British Egg Industry Council's Mark Williams picks out the legal implications.
New legislation on salmonella was inevitable, so DEFRA and the industry encouraged producers to embrace the rules and prepare themselves before the legislation started.
The changes are incorporated in the Lion Scheme rules and the new code was drawn up by BEIC.
Why were the rules imposed?
Some EU Member States had not done as much as the UK in tackling salmonella in eggs, hence they had a much higher prevalence.
The aim was to reduce prevalence at the primary producer level, and it is not just the egg industry. It is applied to breeders, then layers, followed by broilers, turkeys and pigs.
The rules are contained in two pieces of European legislation – EU Directive 2003/99 (enhanced monitoring) and EU Regulation 2160/2003 (enhanced controls) – delivered in the UK through the National Control Programme. These measures should ensure that eggs originating from flocks suspected of being infected with Salmonella Enteritidis or S Typhimurium cannot be sent for human consumption unless they have been treated.
What is the target?
EU baseline data during the period October 2004 to September 2005 show that 8% of UK holdings tested positive with S Enteritidis or S Typhimurium. Based on this, the EU has set the UK a target reduction of 10% for the next three years. Other member states with much higher prevalence, such as Poland, face larger reduction targets.
But when the level is already as low as seen in the UK, it is much harder and more expensive to bring it down the last few percentage points. Both DEFRA and the Food Standards Agency are aware of this.
Does it only apply to the UK?
No, every member state has to comply with the new sampling and testing regime as required by the legislation from the same start date.
When did it start?
In February 2008, the National Control Programme came into force. But a more crucial date was 1 January 2009, when the punitive measures came into force, which included heat-treating eggs before they can enter the food chain.
What does it involve for pullet rearers?
Rearing flocks faced mandatory testing of day-old chick box liners and dead-on-arrivals. Then two weeks before birds moved to their layer accommodation, producers had to sample flocks, either with boot swabs or by collecting faeces.
What does it involve for laying flocks?
The rules apply to all holdings with laying flocks which produce eggs that are graded under the Egg Marketing Regulations.
Every flock requires testing every 15 weeks starting at 22/26 weeks of age, again by either boot swabs for non-cage production or faeces samples for cage production. Flocks are defined as birds that share the same airspace, which means each shed must be tested separately. But for organic units where there are a number of mobile buildings with birds sharing the same range, this is classed as one flock.
Then there is one official sampling occasion of one flock on each holding with more than 1000 birds each year, where the taking of the official sample will be supervised.
Another difference is that it also involves a dust sample, which is much more sensitive than boot swabs or faeces. Vaccination is permitted, but the use of antimicrobials to control salmonella infection is not allowed.
What happens if there is a positive result?
If a sample tests positive, a repeat sample is taken. If this is also positive, then restrictions are placed on that flock and eggs are prevented from being placed on the table market. To rule out false positives, producers have a choice of sampling options. Eggs from other flocks on the same site will not require heat treatment, but they will undergo testing. More details in next month’s instalment.
What are the challenges?
There are a number of challenges. One of these is whether eggs from suspected flocks are be acceptable to processors, as it may conflict with contracts with some retailers. This could leave some flocks no longer being economically viable, particularly those nearing end of lay.
But the main concern is that there is little time left to eliminate any infection. This can only be done when the flock has been depopulated and for some units, this means there are only 1-2 turnarounds left before the heat treatment rules come into force.
What happens next?
The draft National Control Programme was submitted to the EU at the end of January 2007 for approval. Approval is expected in the next few months. Furthermore, DEFRA landed its consultation last month with the industry, giving producers the chance to give their views on how it’s implemented.
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