Egg storage facilities

Egg storage facilities are required to:

1. apply for a Food Authority licence online 
2. comply with the relevant food safety and labelling standards
3. prepare for regular audits.

You must not commence operations until you are informed that your licence application has been approved. If the premises are found to be operating without a licence, enforcement action may be taken.

• For more information, see applying for a licence

There are no formal qualifications required for egg storage facilities, however each food handler and person in control of a food business is required to have food safety skills and knowledge appropriate to their food handling activities.

See FSANZ guide chapter 3.2.2 Division 2 in Safe Food Australia.

Full requirements are set out in the Food Standards Code, Standard 3.2.2 - Food Safety Practices and General Requirements, clause 3.

Egg storage facilities should:

• be designed and constructed to protect food from contamination
• clean and sanitised (where necessary) to protect food from contamination
• segregate raw (for example, cracked eggs) from processed food (such as pasteurised pulp)
• protect food from contamination by covering or sealing it appropriately.

A food handler must take all reasonable measures not to handle food or surfaces likely to come into contact with food in a way that is likely to compromise the safety and suitability of food.

Food businesses must ensure there are adequate facilities for food handlers to wash their hands. Hand wash facilities must be only used for washing hands, arms and face and should include warm running water, soap (or soap alternative) and single-use hand towel.

If a food handler believes they could have or be a carrier of a foodborne illness they must advise their supervisor and ensure they do not handle food that they could contaminate as a result of the disease.

Food handlers must ensure all food contact surfaces are kept clean and adequately protected from contamination.

See FSANZ guide chapter 3.2.2 Division 4 in Safe Food Australia.

For more information, see:

• Health and hygiene requirements of food handlers
• Cleaning & sanitising in food businesses

Full requirements are set out in Food Standards Code, Standard 3.2.2, Division 4 - Health and Hygiene.

Protection from contamination  

Egg storage facilities need to meet the requirements in Standard 3.2.3 Food Premises and Equipment of the Food Standards Code. To comply, businesses should: 

• design and construct storage facilities to protect food from contamination 
• clean and sanitise (where necessary) storage facilities to protect food from contamination 
• segregate raw (for example, cracked eggs) from processed food (such as pasteurised pulp), and protect food from contamination by covering or sealing it appropriately.

Temperature during storage

Businesses need to maintain daily product and/or air temperature records (for example, using a thermometer or a continuous data logger recorder) to demonstrate that:

• cracked eggs are stored at less than 7°C to prevent or minimise the growth of Salmonella
• egg products with at least 80% egg white or yolk, or both, are stored <5°C.

if frozen, products must be frozen solid.

Temperature measuring devices must be easily accessible and demonstrate accuracy of ± 1°C.

Routine refrigeration unit service

The Food Authority recommends that egg storage facilities service the refrigeration unit on the egg storage facility annually to ensure efficient operation, although it is not legally required.

Record keeping

In addition to the storage temperature records outlined above, the following records must be kept for the purchase, storage and sale of unpasteurised egg products with at least 80% egg white or yolk, or both, and cracked eggs:

• names and addresses of the persons or businesses for the purchase, storage and sale of foods
• dates that the foods were purchased, stored and sold
• lot identification numbers of the foods purchased, stored and sold
• quantity of the foods purchased, stored and sold.

Requirements for labelling of product apply, as set out in the FSANZ labelling user guides and the Food Standards Code, Chapter 1, Part 1.2 - Labelling and other Information Requirements.

For more information, see labelling.

No routine microbiological or chemical testing of product is required of egg storage facilities.

Egg storage facilities will be routinely inspected by the Food Authority for compliance with requirements.

Compliance or regulatory action will be taken if required.

There are fees for audits and inspections, payable by the licence holder.

For more see audits of licensed businesses.

Egg storage businesses need to meet the requirements set out in:

1. Food Act 2003 (NSW)
2. Food Regulation 2025 including Part 13 for the Egg Food Safety Scheme
3. Food Standards Code, including:

• Chapter 1, Part 1.2 - Labelling and other Information Requirements
• Standard 3.2.2 - Food Safety Practices & General Requirements
• Standard 3.2.3 - Food Premises and Equipment