,"Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has confirmed major reforms to national egg safety requirements through Proposal P1060, with updates publicly announced under “Strengthening Egg Safety Standards”. The new rules, soon to be gazetted, will apply across egg farms and processing facilities, and are specifically aimed at reducing Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) risks—a pathogen historically linked to egg-related outbreaks in Australia.
These reforms introduce compulsory environmental monitoring programs on farms, requiring producers to conduct routine testing for Salmonella in hen housing and laying areas. Although no numerical pathogen limits are specified (e.g. CFU/g), the regulatory stance remains strict: Salmonella must not be present in eggs or production environments, requiring immediate corrective action upon detection.
Further updates mandate enhanced traceability and identification, including unique producer codes stamped directly onto eggs, enabling full farm-to-retail tracking during outbreak investigations. New provisions also strengthen pest control, requiring farms to implement evidence-based pest management strategies (rodents, wild birds, insects) to prevent Salmonella introduction via faeces, litter, or external contamination.
Temperature and handling practices are also reinforced—while no universal cold-chain temperature has been mandated, FSANZ requires that eggs be stored and transported under time–temperature conditions that inhibit bacterial growth, obligating businesses to document safe handling thresholds. Full refrigeration requirements were considered but deferred, due to variable risk levels and cost burden in remote supply regions.
By reforming Standards 4.2.5 and 2.2.2 of the Food Standards Code, FSANZ also restructures compliance obligations around staff hygiene, facility sanitation, and contamination event response—affirming that zero tolerance applies to Salmonella-positive product entering consumer markets. These regulatory upgrades follow years of data showing that eggs contributed to around 40% of Salmonella outbreaks in Australia (2015–2019), reinforcing the public health urgency behind P1060.
Once gazetted, industry will have 18 months to comply, marking the start of one of the most significant egg safety transitions in the Australian regulatory framework"
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