The egg rules, which are to go to the White House for approval this month, were worked out with consumer advocates and the United Egg Producers, a trade group that represents 80 percent of the nation's major egg farms. The agency hopes to release the rules for public comment by the end of the summer, he said. Salmonella in eggs is believed to cause as many as 125,000 illnesses a year. The FDA set a goal during the Clinton administration of cutting those cases by half in five years. Approximately one in every 20,000 eggs is infected with salmonella, which can cause diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, headache, nausea and vomiting.
Research suggests forced molting increases the incidence of salmonella.
The FDA would require the flocks to be tested for salmonella again after the molt. Eggs from contaminated flocks would have to be pasteurized or diverted to food processing. The Agriculture Department, which shares responsibility for egg regulation with the FDA, is finishing work on rules requiring packers and processors to have sanitation procedures for preventing salmonella. Any copying, redistribution or retransmition of the content of this service without the express writen consent of the Bradenton Herald is expressly prohibited.