Managing Salmonella Enteritidis in commercial chicken flocks

Requirements for managing Salmonella Enteritidis

The Animal Products Order: Emergency Control Scheme – Managing Salmonella Enteritidis in Commercial Chicken Flocks expired on 5 October 2022. We're now using a regulatory framework to manage long-term risks to public health and international trade from Salmonella Enteritidis (SE).

To manage the risk of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE), under the Animal Products Regulations 2021, chicken producers involved in the commercial chicken supply chain must have a registered risk management programme (RMP) no later than 1 November 2023. Before this occurs, interim requirements have been established that continue the SE controls from 6 October 2022 until 31 October 2023. These include you being a listed chicken producer with MPI.

Do these rules apply to you?

Under the definition of chicken producer in the Animal Product Regulations 2021, The new rules apply to chicken producers who produce:

breeder chickens
day-old chicks (hatcheries)
fertile eggs (from breeder chickens)
layer chickens
rearer laying chickens
broiler (meat) chickens.

Animal Products Regulations 2021 – NZ Legislation

If you are a chicken producer with less than 100 chickens that sell chickens or fertile-eggs direct to the consumer or end user only, then you do not need to meet the rules.

Between 6 October 2022 and 31 October 2023, if you are a chicken producer who does not yet operate under an RMP, Chapter FB of the Animal Product Notice: Production, Supply and Processing applies. This chapter sets requirements for the management of SE, biosecurity controls on farm, and verification requirements.

Once you begin operating under an RMP, no later than 1 November 2023, Chapter FA of the Notice applies. Additional requirements for chicken producers also apply in the general parts of the Notice, including:

Chapter B – Risk Management Programmes
Chapter C – Good Operating Practices
Chapter M – Verification

Animal Product Notice: Production, Supply and Processing [PDF, 1.9 MB]

If you already have an RMP and are needing to include more operations into that RMP, then the RMP amendment process can be followed. Refer to the RMP manual for guidance.

Risk management programme manual [PDF, 1.5 MB]

New Zealand Food Safety is working alongside an industry working group to develop new RMP templates for chicken producers. Once available, these templates will assist chicken producers with meeting the new requirements. We aim to have these available prior to 1 November 2023 to allow operators to register these early.

Find out more about risk management programmes

If you're unsure or have questions, email animal.products@mpi.govt.nz

For those not under a RMP, you must be listed with MPI and arrange a verifier

If you are not yet operating under an RMP, you must list with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

If you are already listed with MPI under the emergency control scheme and your details haven't changed, you don't need to do anything. If your details have changed since you listed with MPI, you need to complete new listing forms.

If you have started a new commercial chicken operation, you must let MPI know of the details of each premise where you keep your flocks. Use the same form if your information needs updating. The cost of listing is on the form.

MPI listing form (AP13) [DOCX, 173 KB]

Email your completed forms to approvals@mpi.govt.nz

Note that Export Approved Premises (EAPs) for chicken operations can remain listed as an EAP by MPI until such time as they register an RMP as part of the long-term regulatory framework.

Find out about risk management programmes for egg production and processing

Arrange a verifier

You must have a recognised verifier organised to confirm you are meeting the requirements of the Notice.

The frequency of verification is set out in FB1.8 of the Notice.

You must provide MPI with a letter from a recognised verification agency agreeing to oversee your verifications when you send in your AP13. Note that egg layer producers with an RMP do not need to include this letter.

Find a verifier on our register

What your verifier will do

Your verifier will check that you are managing Salmonella Enteritidis in accordance with the Notice. The focus will be on good operating practice, flock movement records, and sampling techniques. They can help you meet the requirements of the Notice. Ask them if you have questions or concerns.

Find out more about operating under an RMP

Poultry farming

Egg production and processing food safety requirements

Find a recognised laboratory to do testing for you

Get confirmation from your chosen laboratory that they can undertake the testing of your samples for Salmonella Enteritidis as required.

Arrange with the lab to get any sampling supplies needed – for example, swabs, courier address labels or sample submission forms.

If your lab doesn’t provide sample submission forms for sending samples to the lab, you may use the ones below.

SE sample submission form for hatcheries [PDF, 206 KB]

SE sample submission form for farms [PDF, 210 KB]

What you must do under the rules

You must meet certain good operating practice, record keeping, and sampling requirements. Your verifier will check that you have met your requirements at your verification visit.
All records must be kept for 4 years.

You must sample your flocks and you must act if your samples test positive for Salmonella Enteritidis. If you get a positive result, you must follow the rules of the Production, Supply and Processing Notice in Part 3 of FA or FB. This includes identifying affected chickens and production areas, undertaking additional sampling, notifying your verifier within 24 hours of receiving the positive test result and sending a report of the incident within 48 hours to your verifier and MPI.

The report can be sent to MPI at Animal.Products@mpi.govt.nz.

Who to contact

If you have questions about information regarding the rules or the long-term regulatory framework, email animal.products@mpi.govt.nz