Transcript for FDAs Media Briefing on the Regulation to Improve Egg Safety and Reduce Salmonella Illness Moderator: George Strait July 7, 2009 2:30 pm CT Coordinator: Welcome and thank you for standing by. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. After the presentation, we will conduct a question and answer session. To ask a question, please press star 1. Please limit yourself to one question with one follow-up question. Todays conference is being recorded. If you have any objections, you may disconnect at this time. Now, I will turn over the meeting to Mr. George Strait. Sir, you may begin. George Strait: Thank you very much, Operator. And thank you all for coming this afternoon. My name is George Strait, with FDAs Office of Public Affairs. Thanks and welcome to the FDAs briefing to discuss a major action that underscores the agencys strategy to prevent food borne illnesses before they begin. In particular, a new public health regulation to improve egg safety and reduce the salmonella illness. Our two speakers this afternoon are Dr. Margaret Hamburg, Commissioner of Food and Drugs; and Dr. Steven Sundlof, Director for the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA. Well have a brief question and answer segment after the opening remarks. And reporters, remember youll be in a listen-only mode until we open up the call for questions. When we do open up the call for questions, please have one question and one follow up so that everyone can participate. At this time, Id like to turn it over to Dr. Margaret Hamburg. Margaret Hamburg: Thank you. Welcome and thank you all for joining us. Today, were following the White House announcement on the report to the President from the Food Safety Working Group implementing a national public health approach to food safety. An important part of that report is the action the FDA is taking today to help prevent tens of thousands of illnesses caused by salmonella in eggs. This action underscores our strategy to prevent illnesses before they occur, preventing harm to consumers is our first priority. The problem were addressing today is that salmonella enteritidis is a major cause of food borne illness in the United States and eggs are a significant source of these infections in people. Each year, more than 142,000 illnesses occur from eggs contaminated with salmonella enteritidis. We believe that with this action, we can reduce this number by more than half, probably about 60%. In fact, we estimate that the measures called for by the rule will help prevent more than 79,000 salmonella-related illnesses and about 30 deaths a year. These illnesses can be devastating, causing people to suffer with a wide-range of symptoms, such as mild to severe gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea, chronic arthritis and even death. The elderly, the very young and those with weakened immune systems are most vulnerable. The new requirement will improve the safety of 99% of the eggs sold in the United States, with the largest egg producers having to implement the safety requirements beginning this time next year. Our action today directly affects the safety of our egg supply, requiring steps before and during the production of eggs in the poultry house. And requiring other basic measures, such as refrigeration during storage and transportation all the way to the grocery store. Dr. Sundlof will now provide some additional details. And we have some other experts with us as well to answer your questions. Thank you. Steven Sundlof: Thank you, Dr. Hamburg. As Dr. Hamburg said, the new egg safety requirements will significantly reduce the number of unnecessary illnesses from eggs each year. Under the rule, egg producers must buy chicks and young hens only from suppliers who monitor for salmonella bacteria. They must establish rodent, pest control and biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of bacteria throughout the farm by people and equipment. They must conduct testing in the poultry house for salmonella enteritidis. And, if the test finds the bacterium, a representative sample of eggs must be tested over an eight-week time period. And if any of those eggs test positive, the producer must further process the eggs to destroy the bacteria or divert the eggs to non-food use. They must clean and disinfect the poultry houses that have tested positive for salmonella. And, they must refrigerate eggs at 45 degrees Fahrenheit during the storage and transportation no later than 36 hours after the eggs are laid. Egg producers whose eggs receive treatments such as pasteurization still must comply with the registration - Im sorry - the refrigeration requirements. Similarly, certain persons such as distributors, packers or truckers holding or transporting shell eggs must also comply with the refrigeration requirements. To ensure compliance, egg producers must maintain a written salmonella enteritidis prevention plan and records documenting their compliance. Producers als