Press Release: Reducing Salmonella: Commission sets EU targets for laying hens and adopts new control rules

The European Commission has adopted two Regulations aimed at reducing and controlling the prevalence of Salmonella in poultry and eggs across the EU. The first Regulation lays down targets for the reduction of Salmonella in laying hens, which in turn should lead to less Salmonella contamination in eggs. Every Member State will have to work towards reducing the number of laying hens infected with Salmonella by a specific minimum percentage each year, with steeper targets for Member States with higher levels of Salmonella. The first target deadline is set for 2008, although Member States will have to submit national control programmes on Salmonella reduction in laying hens to the Commission by early 2007. The second Regulation adopted by the Commission sets out rules on the methods used to control Salmonella in poultry, including mandatory vaccination from 2008 onwards for laying hens in Member States with a Salmonella prevalence of 10% or more. In addition to the 2 Regulations, adopted on 1 August 2006, the Commission is also currently looking into the possibility of introducing a trade ban on eggs from Salmonella infected flocks as soon as possible. This is in light of the recent findings in the preliminary EFSA report on Salmonella levels in laying hens. A Commission proposal for certain trade restrictions has already been presented to Member States and the options will be discussed further with national food safety experts in the autumn.

European Food Safety Authority: Preliminary report on analysis of the baseline study on the prevalence of Salmonella in laying hen flocks of Gallus gallus http://www.efsa.europa.eu/science/monitoring_zoonoses/reports/1541_en.html

European Commission: DG Communication: MEMO/06/305 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/06/305&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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