Salmonella Prevention Measures for Small Backyard Flock Owners

Salmonella Enteritidis is a potential food safety issue in eggs, egg products, and poultry in all operations, including noncommercial and small operations. A thorough understanding of the disease is critical for effective control and preventative measures. Developing written farm-specific programs such as an Egg Quality Assurance Plan for a poultry flock incorporates both preventing introduction of Salmonella Enteritidis onto the premises and monitoring for this organism to reduce contamination in the shell egg. Such farm-specific programs are required for certain poultry producers depending on animal products sold from that facility. Program requirements, example programs, and some general recommendations for developing Egg Quality Assurance Plan programs are presented in this article.