Update on the national food safety standard for eggs and egg products

FSANZ – in partnership with the egg industry, governments and consumers – is developing a nationally consistent set of requirements to manage food safety for primary production and processing of eggs and egg products.   These requirements will be incorporated into a national food standard. We hope to provide Australian consumers with increased confidence in the safety of eggs and egg products and the egg industry with the certainty that flows from national regulation.

This is the second fact sheet reporting on the development of the national Primary Production and Processing Standard for Eggs and Egg Products which is to be included in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code) .

Who is advising FSANZ on the development of the new national egg standard?

In July, the FSANZ Board approved the establishment of the Standard Development Committee for Eggs and Egg Products. This advisory committee contributes a broad spectrum of knowledge and expertise to the standard development process.  Members have been drawn from industry, government, science and consumer backgrounds. The Committee met for the first time in September 2006.

What is the scope of the standard development work?

The standard will include eggs and egg products for human consumption produced by all avian species, except ratites (emus and ostriches) and will focus on requirements for controlling food safety.   I ssues relating to labelling of production method (free-range vs. cage eggs) and biosecurity will be considered where they are seen to have an impact on food safety.

What are the next steps in the standard development process?

FSANZ will produce a discussion paper – an Initial Assessment Report – describing the proposed scope of the work, our current knowledge of egg safety issues and information about the industry and its current regulation. This report will be presented to the FSANZ Board in December 2006. Once approved, it will be released to the public to invite everyone who is interested to provide information and/or comments on issues raised in the paper. The Initial Assessment Report will be available on our website in mid-December.

FSANZ’s Scientific Risk Assessment team has commenced an examination of safety along the entire egg primary production and processing chain to determine where chemical and/or microbiological hazards could potentially occur. This assessment will allow us to determine where control measures may be appropriate to manage the safety of eggs and egg products.

Who is assisting FSANZ on the scientific Risk Assessment?

In addition to the Standard Development Committee, FSANZ has established an Egg Scientific Advisory Panel to assist the risk assessment team in the preparation of the scientific assessment. The Panel consists of a number of scientific experts from industry and government and its role is to:

• provide comment and advice on the scientific assessment undertaken by FSANZ as part of the eggs and egg products standard development process;
• provide guidance in identifying additional sources of data; and
• assist in addressing uncertainty or variability in the information underpinning the scientific assessments - which may impact on the final output.

How can I influence the development of the new national egg standard?

We welcome your submissions on the Initial Assessment Report and hope that individuals, or organisations with an interest in this project, will provide information on issues raised in the paper and comment on the proposed work.  

Additionally, you may contact FSANZ, or other members of the Standard Development Committee, to discuss the development of the new standard. Committee members have been selected from a range of locations and expertise so as to best represent all those who may be affected by the new egg standard. Members of the Standard Development Committee and Egg Scientific Advisory Panel are detailed in an attachment to this fact sheet.

Where can I obtain further information?

General information about primary production and processing standards is available on the FSANZ website at www.foodstandards.gov.au .

The FSANZ switchboard is (02) 6271 2222.  The Information Officer can be contacted on (02) 6271 2241 or email info@foodstandards.gov.au

Standard Development Committee 

Chairperson: Mr Graham Peachey, Chief Executive Officer, FSANZ

Non-government

Name	Position	Organisation
Mr Glen Abbott	National Business Manager	Farm Pride Pty Ltd, Victoria
Ms Christene Cantarella	Director	McLean Farms, Queensland
Mrs Ivy Inwood	President Chairperson	Free Range Egg & Poultry Association of Australia Queensland Egg Farmers Association Inc
Mr James Kellaway	Managing Director	Australian Egg Corporation Ltd (AECL)
Ms Azadeh Laghai	Technical Services Manager	SunnyQueen Pty Ltd, Queensland
Mr Paul Maher	Site Manager	Pace Farm Pty Ltd, New South Wales
Mrs Meg Parkinson	Deputy President President Vice President	Victorian Farmers Federation VFF Egg Producer’s Group Free Range Egg & Poultry Australia Ltd
Dr Peter Scott	Research Fellow Managing Director	University of Melbourne Scolexia
Mr Con Tamvakis		Micro-Range Farmers Association
Mr Steven Todd	General Manager	Southern Egg Pty Ltd, South Australia
Ms Mandy Tyack	Quality Coordinator	Golden Egg Farms, Western Australia
Mr Joe Vella	Committee Member	NSW Farmers Association
Ms Rachelle Williams	Member	FSANZ Consumer Liaison Committee

Government

Name	Position	Organisation
Mr Bill Calder	Manager Dairy Safety Branch	Department of Health, Western Australia
Mr Scott Channing	Senior Policy Officer, Food Regulation & Safety	Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry Australia (DAFF)
Mr Brian Delroy	Principal Food Safety Advisor, Food Policy & Programs Branch	Department of Human Services, South Australia
Mr Paul Dowsett	Food Safety Officer	Department of Primary Industries and Resources South Australia
Dr Nora Galway	Imported Food Program	Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS)
Ms Melissa Langhorne	Manager, Health Protection Services	ACT Health
Mr Chris Lyall	Manager, Food Safety	Department of Primary Industries and Water, Tasmania
Mr Phil Pond	General Manager Strategy, Policy & Development	SafeFood Queensland
Mr Bill Porter	Manager, Regulatory Affairs	NSW Food Authority
Ms Kathleen Shaw	Senior Advisor, Food Safety	Department of Health and Human Services, Tasmania
Mr Russell Stafford	Epidemiologist	Department of Health and Ageing / OzFoodNet
Ms Susannah Tymms	Senior Analyst Food Policy, Agriculture Industry Policy Group	Department of Primary Industries, Victoria
Ms Sharon Wagener	Program Manager (Animal Products), New Zealand Standards Group	New Zealand Food Safety Authority
Ms Tracy Ward	Senior Policy Officer, Environmental Health Branch	Department of Health & Community Services, Northern Territory

Egg Scientific Advisory Panel

Member	Organisation	Expertise
Dr Marion Healy	FSANZ	Chairperson Risk assessment
Mr Paul McKenna	Industry	Egg processing industry knowledge
Mr Glen Abbott	Industry	Egg processing industry knowledge
Dr Peter Scott	Industry	Animal health, on-farm knowledge and practices
Mr Mark Veitch	Melbourne Diagnostic Unit	Human health epidemiological expertise
Associate Professor Julian Cox	UNSW	Microbiological expertise
Mr Ben Daughtry	SARDI	Risk assessment and microbiological expertise
Mr Bernie Davis	Consultant	Egg industry knowledge, Government

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