As the U.S. government steps up efforts to reduce Salmonella Enteriditis illnesses resulting from eggs, food industry companies continue introducing treatments that either destroy the bacteria in the shell or significantly reduce its growth.
With Salmonella-infected eggs accounting for 300,000 illnesses a year, The President's Council on Food Safety last winter introduced an action plan that would eliminate any risk in eggs by 2010. Among other initiatives, the plan calls for identifying systems and activities necessary to ensure food safety from production to consumption. The plan also identifies promising developments in science and technology, including in-shell pasteurization.