Salmonella Testing Required for Eggs

WASHINGTONThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new rule to reduce the contamination in eggs. FDA will require egg producers to test regularly for Salmonella and buy chicks from suppliers who do the same. Eggs, which must be refrigerated by wholesalers and retail stores, will have to be refrigerated on the farm and during shipment, as well.

FDA expects this new rule will help reduce the number of Salmonella illnesses by 79,000 each year. Close to half the egg industry is following similar guidelines voluntarily, but the new requirement will cost producers about $81 million a year, and add about 1 cent to the cost of a dozen eggs, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said it will save the nation about $1.4 billion a year in medical expenses.