FDA Announces New Egg Regulatory Program Standards
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Egg Regulatory officials have announced a new program for state egg and egg product regulators titled “Egg Regulatory Program Standards” (ERPS). The standards are designed to integrate the regulatory activities of partner agencies into an efficient and effective process for improving egg and egg product safety in the U.S.
FDA's Food Safety Modernization Act called for enhanced partnerships of government agencies and provides a legal mandate for developing an Integrated Food Safety System (IFSS). A key principle of an IFSS is the uniform application of model program standards so that regulatory agencies conduct inspections under the same set of standards. As the U.S. moves toward integrating food safety resources, uniform standards across egg and egg product regulatory programs are critical.