After 50 years, USDA modernizes egg products inspection

For the first time in 50 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that it is modernizing egg products inspection methods. The Egg Products Inspection Regulations final rule will be consistent with current requirements in the meat and poultry products inspection regulations. Under the new regulation, federally inspected egg products plants are required to develop and implement HACCP systems and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs). FSIS will continue to test for Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in egg products. Under the HACCP system, plants will be able to tailor a food safety system that best fits their particular facility and equipment. By removing prescriptive regulations, egg products plants will have the flexibility and the incentive to innovate new means to achieve enhanced food safety. FSIS will be assuming regulatory authority over egg substitutes and freeze-dried egg products that were previously under the FDA. Regulations governing the importation and inspection of foreign egg products will be adjusted to more closely with the rules governing the importation of foreign meat and poultry products. @ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/newsroom/news-releases-statements-transcripts/news-release-archives-by-year/archive/2020/nr-09092020-01