Food Safety Research - Australian Eggs

Leading Research: in Food Safety

Food safety is a key issue for both consumers and egg farmers and is critical to maintaining confidence in eggs as a staple food.

Work to date has demonstrated that it is possible to minimise risks arising on-farm to a very low level and this work will continue through both research and communications activities.

There remains an even greater potential to assist in managing food safety risks arising in the post-farm egg value chain by continuing to facilitate dialogue between the egg industry, food safety regulators and end-users of eggs and egg products.

The positive health and nutritional benefits of eggs to humans will continue to be characterised and disseminated. By investing in RD&E we intend to reduce food safety issues, increase consumer confidence and consumption and enhance industry credibility.

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Key Resources

An updated Salmonella Response Plan

This synopsis is an adaptation of the Salmonella Incidence Response Plan, and is designed to provide a minimum standard for use by farmers if their farm is implicated in a foodborne outbreak.

Download pdf document (4 MB)
Synopsis of Salmonella Response Plan

This synopsis is an adaptation of the Salmonella Incidence Response Plan, and is designed to provide a minimum standard for use by farmers if their farm is implicated in a foodborne outbreak.

Download pdf document (4 MB)
Code of Practice for Shell egg production grading packing and distribution 2009

The Code aims to prevent contamination and deterioration in the quality of shell eggs and has been designed to cover different types of egg production systems from small free range farms to intensive cage systems.

Download pdf document (230 KB)
Salmonella Incidence Response Plan

This Salmonella Incidence Response Plan provides the opportunity to include the development of an accepted national response to the identification of SE in Australian commercial egg layer flocks.

Download pdf document (6.5 MB)
SE Guide for Producers

Salmonella Enteritidis – A Guide for Producers

Download pdf document (3 MB)

Current Research

Evaluation of the duration of immunity induced by a vaccination program against Salmonella Enteritidis 7A in laying hens in Australia (Stage 2).

In this research, a combination of live Salmonella Typhimurium and autogenous Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) vaccine did provide layers with a long- term humoral immune response, but did not prevent the shedding of Salmonella.
Evaluation of vaccination program options against Salmonella Enteritidis 7A in laying hens in Australia

This project tested three different vaccination programs for their efficacy in Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) prevention in laying hens. The results of this study indicated that SE control is possible using a combination of the current registered live Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) vaccines and an SE killed autogenous vaccine.
In Stage two of this project hens vaccinated with the ST + SE program were challenged 35 weeks after their second vaccination. Results indicated that vaccinated hens had a sustained humoral immune response, but were no less likely to be infected with SE long- term than non-vaccinated hens.

Planned Completion

30 Mar 2020
Traceability for the egg industry

This project is funded by Commonwealth grant funds. The output of this project will be a traceability solution for the industry.

Planned Completion

31 Oct 2023
Protecting Australia's poultry using genetic restoration

In this proof of concept study, researchers will attempt to embed genetic material from other poultry species into the layer hen genome. The specific genetic material relates to Avian influenza resistance so there is the potential that it could do the same for the layer hen.

Planned Completion

30 Sep 2021
Antimicrobial resistance surveillance in Salmonella isolates from environments on Australian commercial egg farms

This project was conducted to identify the most appropriate mechanisms for obtaining and performing antimicrobial susceptibility testing on Salmonella isolates obtained from Australian layer shed environments.

Completed Research

Distribution and expression of the 14 kDa fimbrial gene among Salmonella Enteritidis isolates and potential as diagnostic and epidemiological tools

This 12-month study (1993-1994) aimed to capitalise on prior observations and develop a novel strategy for rapid identification of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis in egg and egg products based on detection of DNA sequences encoding SEF14.

Completed

1 Jan 1994

More info

Projects you might find interesting

Traceability for the egg industry

This project is funded by Commonwealth grant funds. The output of this project will be a traceability solution for the industry.

Planned Completion

31 Oct 2023
Salmonella Enteritidis Response Plan- An Approach to Salmonella Enteritidis Detection

This report provides a guideline for industry response in the event of a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak.

Completed

31 May 2017
Salmonella Incidence Response Plan- A National Approach to Salmonella Outbreaks

The Salmonella Incidence Response Plan (SIRP) collates all information in a single document and provides a structured and coherent response framework to be followed when a farm had been implicated in a foodborne outbreak.

Completed

31 May 2017
Through-Chain Salmonella Risk Identification

Effective response and management of salmonella challenges in the egg industry developed to defend the egg category, increase the strength of the egg brand and facilitate access to new markets.

Completed

18 Apr 2016