PRIMARY PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING STANDARD FOR EGGS AND EGG PRODUCT
(Australia only)
Purpose and commentary
This Standard sets out a number of food safety requirements for the primary production and processing of eggs, egg pulp and other egg product for human consumption. At the primary production stage, businesses that produce eggs must implement measures to control the food safety hazards and must be able to trace their individual eggs for sale. Businesses that process eggs or egg product must control their food safety hazards and must be able to trace their individual eggs and the egg pulp. It is the responsibility of these businesses not only to comply with this Standard but also to be able to demonstrate compliance.
Table of Provisions
Division 1 – Preliminary
1 Application
2 Interpretation
Division 2 – Primary production of eggs
3 General food safety management
4 Inputs
5 Waste disposal
6 Health and hygiene requirements
7 Skills and knowledge
8 Design, construction and maintenance of premises, equipment and transportation vehicles
9 Bird health
10 Traceability
11 Sale or supply
Division 3 – Processing of eggs and egg pulp
12 Application
13 General food safety management
14 Receiving unacceptable eggs
15 Inputs
16 Waste disposal
17 Skills and knowledge
18 Health and hygiene requirements
19 Design, construction and maintenance of premises, equipment and transportation vehicles
20 Traceability
21 Processing egg product
22 Storing and transport of processed egg product
23 Sale or supply
Clauses
Division 1 – Preliminary
1 Application
This Standard does not apply to retail sale or catering activities other than the direct sale of eggs to the public by an egg producer.
2 Interpretation
(1) Unless the contrary intention appears, and subject to Standard 4.1.1, the definitions in Chapter 3 of this Code apply in this Standard.
(2) In this Standard –
cracked egg means an egg which has a cracked shell which is visible, or visible by candling or other equivalent methods, and includes a broken egg.
dirty egg means an egg that has visible faeces, soil or other matter on it.
egg means an egg from any avian (bird) species, except ratites.
egg producer means a business, enterprise or activity that involves the production of eggs, whether or not the business grades, packs, washes, candles or assesses for cracks, oils, pulps for supply to the processor for pasteurisation or stores or transports eggs or egg pulp.
egg processor means a business, enterprise or activity that involves –
(a) pulping, separating, grading, packing, washing, candling, assessing for cracks or oiling eggs received from an egg producer; or
(b) storing or transporting eggs in association with any of the activities in paragraph (a); or
(c) processing egg product under clause 21 of this Standard.
egg pulp means the contents of an egg, which may contain sugar or salt.
food safety management statement means a statement, which at a minimum, has been approved or recognised by the relevant authority and subjected to ongoing verification activities by an egg producer or egg processor and the relevant authority.
Editorial note:
‘Authority’ is defined in draft Standard 4.1.1.
liquid egg white means the white of egg separated as effectively as practicable from the yolk in liquid form.
liquid egg yolk means the yolk of egg separated as effectively as practicable from the white in liquid form.
premises means an egg production premises or a processing premises.
unacceptable refers to unacceptable eggs.
unacceptable egg means –
(a) a cracked egg or a dirty egg; or
(b) egg product which has not been processed in accordance with clause 21; or
(c) egg product which contains a pathogenic micro-organism, whether or not the egg product has been processed in accordance with clause 21.
Editorial note:
Standard 1.1.1 defines ‘egg product’ as the contents of an egg in any form including egg pulp, dried egg, liquid egg white and liquid egg yolk.
Division 2 – Primary production of eggs
3 General food safety management
(1) An egg producer must systematically examine all of its production operations to identify potential hazards and implement control measures to address those hazards.
(2) An egg producer must also have evidence to show that a systematic examination has been undertaken and that control measures for those identified hazards have been implemented.
(3) An egg producer must operate according to a food safety management statement that sets out how the requirements of this Division are to be or are being complied with.
4 Inputs
An egg producer must take all reasonable measures to ensure inputs do not make the eggs unsafe or unsuitable.
Editorial note:
See the definitions of ‘safe’ and ‘suitable’ in Standard 3.1.1.
See the definition of ‘inputs’ in Standard 4.1.1 which includes feed, water and chemicals used in or in connection with the primary production activity.
5 Waste disposal
(1) An egg producer must store, handle or dispose of waste in a manner that will not make the egg unsafe or unsuitable.
(2) For subclause (1), waste includes sewage, waste water, used litter, dead birds, garbage and eggs which the proprietor, supervisor or employee of the egg producer knows, ought to reasonably know or to reasonably suspect, are unsafe or unsuitable.
6 Health and hygiene requirements
(1) A person involved in egg production must exercise personal hygiene and health practices that do not make the eggs unsafe or unsuitable.
(2) An egg producer must take all reasonable measures to ensure that personnel and visitors exercise personal hygiene and health practices that do not make the eggs unsafe or unsuitable.
7 Skills and knowledge
An egg producer must ensure that a person who engages in or supervises the primary production of eggs has –
(a) skills in food safety and food hygiene; and
(b) knowledge of food safety and food hygiene matters;
commensurate with their work.
8 Design, construction and maintenance of premises, equipment and transportation vehicles
An egg producer must –
(a) ensure that premises, equipment and transportation vehicles are designed and constructed in a way that minimises the contamination of the eggs, allows for effective cleaning and sanitisation, and minimises the harbourage of pests and vermin; and
(b) keep premises, equipment and transportation vehicles effectively cleaned, sanitised and in good repair to ensure the eggs are not made unsafe or unsuitable.
9 Bird health
(1) An egg producer must not obtain eggs for human consumption from birds if the proprietor, supervisor or employee of the egg producer knows, ought to reasonably know or to reasonably suspect, the bird is affected by disease or a condition that makes the eggs unsafe or unsuitable.
(2) The definition of ‘condition’ in Standard 3.2.2 does not apply to this clause.
10 Traceability
(1) An egg producer must not sell eggs unless each individual egg is marked with the producers’ unique identification.
(2) An egg producer who supplies egg pulp must mark each package or container containing the pulp with the producers’ unique identification.
(3) Subclauses (1) and (2) do not apply to eggs or egg pulp sold or supplied to an egg processor (the supplied product) if that egg processor complies with clause 20 in respect of the supplied product.
(4) In addition to subclauses (1) and (2), an egg producer must have a system to identify to whom eggs or egg pulp is sold or supplied.
11 Sale or supply
(1) An egg producer must not sell or supply eggs or egg pulp for human consumption if it knows, ought to reasonably know or to reasonably suspect, that the eggs are unacceptable.
(2) Subclause (1) does not apply to an egg producer that sells or supplies unacceptable eggs to an egg processor for processing in accordance with clause 21.
Editorial note:
‘Supply’ is defined in Standard 4.1.1 as including intra company transfers of product.
Division 3 – Egg Processing
12 Application of Food Safety Standards
Standards 3.2.2 and 3.2.3 apply to processing under clause 21 and storage and transport under clause 22, but not to any other processing activities.
13 General food safety management
(1) An egg processor must systematically examine all of its processing operations to identify potential hazards and implement control measures to address those hazards.
(2) An egg processor must also have evidence to show that a systematic examination has been undertaken and that control measures for those identified hazards have been implemented.
(3) An egg processor must operate according to a food safety management statement that sets out how the requirements of this Division are to be or are being complied with.
14 Receiving unacceptable eggs
An egg processor must not receive unacceptable eggs for human consumption unless –
(a) in the case of dirty eggs, they are to be cleaned;
(b) in the case of cracked eggs, they are to be processed in accordance with clause 21; or
(c) in the case of egg pulp, the product is to be processed in accordance with clause 21.
15 Inputs
An egg processor must take all reasonable measures to ensure inputs do not make the eggs or egg product unsafe or unsuitable.
Editorial note:
See Standard 4.1.1 for the definition of ‘inputs’.
16 Waste disposal
(1) An egg processor must store, handle or dispose of waste in a manner that will not make the eggs or egg product unsafe or unsuitable.
(2) For subclause (1), waste includes sewage, waste water, unacceptable eggs or egg product and garbage.
17 Skills and knowledge
An egg processor must ensure that persons undertaking or supervising the processing of eggs or egg product have –
(a) skills in food safety and food hygiene; and
(b) knowledge of food safety and food hygiene matters;
commensurate with their work.
18 Health and hygiene requirements
(1) A person involved in egg processing must exercise personal hygiene and health practices that do not make the eggs or egg product unsafe or unsuitable.
(2) An egg processor must take all reasonable measures to ensure that personnel and visitors exercise personal hygiene and health practices that do not make the eggs or egg product unsafe or unsuitable.
19 Design, construction and maintenance of premises, equipment and transportation vehicles
An egg processor must –
(a) ensure that premises, equipment and transportation vehicles are designed and constructed in a way that minimises the contamination of the eggs or egg products, allows for effective cleaning and sanitisation, and minimises the harbourage of pests and vermin; and
(b) keep premises, equipment and transportation vehicles effectively cleaned, sanitised and in good repair to ensure the eggs or egg products are not made unsafe or unsuitable.
20 Traceability
(1) An egg processor must not sell eggs unless each individual egg is marked with the processor’s or producer’s unique identification.
(2) An egg processor must not sell or supply egg product unless each package or container containing the egg product is marked with the processor’s or the producer’s unique identification.
(3) In addition to subclauses (1) and (2), an egg processor must have a system to identify –
(a) from whom eggs were or egg pulp was received; and
(b) to whom eggs or egg product was supplied.
21 Processing egg product
(1) An egg processor must process egg product by –
(a) pasteurising; or
(b) heating using any other time and temperature combination of equivalent or greater lethal effect on any pathogenic micro-organisms in the egg product; or
(c) using any other process that provides an equivalent or greater lethal effect on any pathogenic micro-organisms in the egg product.
(2) For paragraph (1)(a), the egg product listed in Column 1 of the Table to this clause must be pasteurised to the time and temperature combinations in Column 2, Column 3 and Column 4.
(3) A process described in paragraph 1(b) or (c), if used, must be validated by the egg processor.
(4) In this clause –
validate means –
(a) confirming a control measure for a critical control point or process is effective to minimise a food safety hazard; and
(b) providing objective evidence to confirm paragraph (a).
Table to clause 21
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Column 4 |
| Egg product | Retention temperature to be no less than (oC) | Retention time to be no less than (minutes) | Maximum temperature to be immediately rapidly cooled to (oC) |
| Egg pulp (without any sugar or salt) | 64 | 2.5 | ≤ 7 |
| Liquid egg yolk | 60 | 3.5 | ≤ 7 |
| Liquid egg white | 55 | 9.5 | ≤ 7 |
Editorial note:
For subclause 21(1), Standard 1.6.1 specifies microbiological limits for processed egg products for sale.
22 Storage or transport of processed egg product
A processor must ensure that egg product processed under clause 21 is stored or transported under time and temperature conditions that control the growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
23 Sale or supply
(1) An egg processor must not sell or supply eggs or egg product for human consumption if the processor knows, ought to reasonably know or to reasonably suspect, that the eggs or egg product are unacceptable.
(2) Subclause (1) does not apply to an egg processor that sells or supplies unacceptable eggs to an egg processor for processing in accordance with clause 21.
(3) An egg processor must not sell liquid egg white or liquid egg yolk unless it is processed in accordance with clause 21.
Editorial note:
Standard 1.2.3 requires unpasteurised egg products to be labelled with a statement that the product is unpasteurised.
Amendment History
The Amendment History provides information about each amendment to the Standard. The information includes commencement or cessation information for relevant amendments.
These amendments are made under section 92 of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 unless otherwise indicated. Amendments do not have a specific date for cessation unless indicated as such.
about this compilation
This is a compilation of Standard 4.2.5 as in force on 31 July 2014 (up to Amendment No. 149). It includes any commenced amendment affecting the compilation to that date.
Prepared by Food Standards Australia New Zealand on 31 July 2014.
Uncommenced amendments or provisions ceasing to have effect
To assist stakeholders, the effect of any uncommenced amendments or provisions which will cease to have effect, may be reflected in the Standard as shaded boxed text with the relevant commencement or cessation date. These amendments will be reflected in a compilation registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments including or omitting those amendments and provided in the Amendment History once the date is passed.
The following abbreviations may be used in the table below:
ad = added or inserted am = amended
exp = expired or ceased to have effect rep = repealed
rs = repealed and substituted
Standard 4.2.5 was published in the Food Standards Gazette No. FSC65 on 26 May 2011 (to take effect on 26 November 2012) (F2011L00860) and has been amended as follows:
| Clause affected | A’ment No. | FRLI registration Gazette | Commencement (Cessation) | How affected | Description of amendment |
| 21 | 149 | F2014L01037 29 July 2014 FSC91 31 July 2014 | 31 July 2014 | rs | Editorial note following the clause. |
