G/SPS/GEN/1861  
 
18 November  2020 
(20-8283) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
 
INFORMATION TO MEMBERS : UNITED STATES – USDA FSIS FINAL RULE  
ON EGG PRODUCTS INSPECTION REGULATIONS  
SUBMISSION  BY THE UNITED STATES  OF AMERICA  
The following document , received on 13 November  2020, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the United Sta tes of America . 
 
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1.1.  The United States is pleased to take the floor today to inform Members of an important final 
rule modernizing the inspection requirements for egg products.  
1.2.  On 9 September 2020, the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and 
Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that it is modernizing inspection methods for egg products. 
The final rule was subsequently publish ed in the Federal Register on 29 October 2020 and notified 
to the WTO on 3 November 2020 ( G/SPS/N/USA/2985/Add.1 ). 
1.3.  FSIS is the public health agency in the USDA responsible for protecting the public's health by 
ensuring the safety of meat, poultry, and egg products. FS IS is the competent authority responsible 
for certifying these products for export, as well as conducting import reinspection of these products 
at the point of entry prior to entering US commerce.  
1.4.  The Egg Products Inspection Regulations final rule aligns t he egg products regulations with 
current requirements in meat and poultry products inspection regulations. FSIS defines egg products 
as any dried, frozen, or liquid eggs, with or without added ingredients, except products that contain 
eggs only in a relati vely small proportion.  
1.5.  Under the new rule, federally inspected egg products establishments are required to develop 
and implement Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems and Sanitation Standard 
Operating Procedures (SSOPs). FSIS will con tinue to test for residues, Salmonella , and Listeria 
monocytogenes  (Lm) in egg products. FSIS will also continue to require establishments that produce 
egg products to meet food safety standards including the requirement to be edible without additional 
preparation.  
1.6.  Under the HACCP system, establishments will be able to tailor their food safety system to fit 
their facility and equipment. Further, by removing prescriptive regulations, establishments will have 
the flexibility and the incentive to innovate new means to achieve enhanced food safety.  
1.7.  In addition, FSIS will be exercising regulatory authority over egg substitutes and freeze -dried 
egg products, which pose the same risk as egg products and will be inspected in the same manner, 
thus enhanc ing the existing food safety system. FSIS requires that these products be produced 
under FSIS inspection and jurisdiction , and is phasing in requirements for these products over a 
three -year period.  
1.8.  The agency has also realigned regulations governing the i mportation and inspection of foreign 
egg products more closely with regulations governing the importation of foreign meat and poultry 
products. FSIS will notify these regulatory changes to all Members of the WTO SPS Committee. 
Countries that have ongoing e quivalence and most countries that have requested initial equivalence 
for egg products have already implemented HACCP for egg products for domestic consumption.  G/SPS/GEN/1861  
 
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  1.9.  After publication of the final rule in the Federal Register, the new requirements will be phase d 
in. FSIS is allowing domestic establishments and foreign countries who export egg products to the 
United States until 29 October 2021 to implement SSOP procedures , and until 31 October 2022 to 
implement HACCP procedures.  All other regulatory requirements , including those for the 
pasteurization of egg products, will take effect on 28 December 2020.  
1.10.   FSIS will follow -up by sending a letter outlining key policy changes to each impacted country.  
1.11.   Additional questions on this measure can be directed to InternationalCoordination@usda.gov . 
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