The Hagstrom Report

Agriculture News As It Happens

Navigation

Food groups ask FDA to change policy on egg temperature storage

The National Chicken Council, Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Association for Dressings and Sauces this week petitioned FDA to change its policy that requires all eggs for human consumption to be stored at 45 degrees within 36 hours of being laid.

The groups said they are asking for the change of policy because the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has raised the price of eggs used by egg breakers and their customers.

“In light of the strain the HPAI outbreak is putting on the nation’s egg supply, FDA should revisit the use of the surplus of affordable, quality eggs available in the United States for use by egg breakers and their customers, rather than seeking costly imports of foreign eggs,” the groups wrote.

“Already faced with egg shortages, food producers and consumers might be hit even harder in their wallets as we head into the annual holiday baking season, unless FDA allows us to stop throwing away these eggs,” noted Ashley Peterson, National Chicken Council senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs.

In a background paper, NCC explained that hatcheries store eggs at 65 degrees until they are to be hatched, but due to fluctuating market conditions, hatcheries in some instances have more eggs on hand than what they want to set in incubators to hatch and become chicks.

These are known as “surplus” hatching eggs. Before 2010, when FDA implemented new rules, broiler producers (those raising chickens for meat) would be able to sell these surplus eggs to egg processors, known as “breakers,” to be pasteurized and used in egg products at USDA-inspected plants.

In 2010, however, FDA issued a final rule saying that all eggs intended to be sent to breaking facilities for eventual pasteurization must be kept at 45° F within 36 hours after being laid.

“FDA never suggested these products are safer or explained what further health benefit is achieved from refrigeration prior to treatment,” NCC said. “As a direct result, broiler producers have stopped selling surplus hatching eggs to egg processors and instead are forced to render or throw these eggs away, often at an additional cost.”

NCC estimates that the final rule resulted in the industry disposing of roughly 356 million eggs last year.

“By lifting or modifying the 36-hour refrigeration requirement for broiler hatcheries, FDA can increase the supply of breaker eggs, which will put downward pressure on prices and provide industries reliant upon breaker eggs with the relief they so desperately need,” the petition requests.