Salmonella Enteritidis Outbreaks Associated with Egg-Producing Farms Not Regulated by Food and Drug Administration's Egg Safety Rule

The Food and Drug Administration Egg Safety Rule requires producers with >3000 layer hens to register a Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis (SE) prevention plan for production, storage, and transport of shell eggs. Since its implementation began in 2010, four outbreaks of egg-associated salmonellosis have occurred in Tennessee. We reviewed state health department records from each outbreak and described them in the context of the Egg Safety Rule. The outbreaks were linked to three farms that did not meet the criteria for regulation and one farm that was operating in violation of the rule. This regulatory gap poses a food safety risk in Tennessee and nationally. Additional measures at the state and federal level should be considered to address the risk of SE in shell eggs from farms not currently regulated by the Egg Safety Rule.