PEQAP Education and Certification Training

Certification training is offered annually for PA egg producers, processors, and those technicians responsible for environment and egg sampling to train and certify program participants. Training includes a two-hour training session for technicians and a four-hour training session for producers and processors, a notebook with PowerPoint presentation handouts, and supplementary appendix materials for further understanding and reference.

• The Pennsylvania Egg Quality Assurance Program (PEQAP)

• Cooperative Agreement among PA Department of Agriculture, PA Department of Health, and PennAg Industries Association Poultry Council
  
  
• PEQAP Operations Annex
  
  
• December 2011 Pennsylvania Producer/Processor and Technician Training Presentations

---

The Pennsylvania Egg Quality Assurance Program

The Pennsylvania Egg Quality Assurance Program (PEQAP) is a voluntary industry program intended to minimize Salmonella enteritidis (SE) contamination of chicken eggs. Although the program does not guarantee shell eggs to be free of SE contamination, the program does assure consumers of the commitment producers and processors are making to prevent SE contamination. Basic preventive measures include placement of SE clean chicks, intensive rodent control, cleaning and disinfecting between flocks, and environmental monitoring of pullet and layer houses with continuous testing of eggs from any SE positive houses. Eggs from SE positive houses are diverted for pasteurization. Eggs must be kept refrigerated. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture provides third party monitoring of the program as well as technical, administrative, and financial support. The Pennsylvania Department of Health provides technical advice regarding public health implications. PEQAP participants are assuring the public that they are taking every reasonable precaution to assure the safety of their eggs.

Supported by
PA Animal Health Commission
PA Department of Agriculture
PA Department of Health
PennAg Industries Poultry Council
The Pennsylvania State University
University of Pennsylvania

---

Pennsylvania Producer/Processor and Technician Training
December 15 , 2011
Kreamer Fire Hall, Kreamer, Pa.

Presentations for PEQAP Technician Training

•  Introduction - Paul Patterson, Department of Poultry Science, The Pennsylvania State University

•  PEQAP Sample Collection, Chick Paper Swabs, Pullet and Hen House Environmental Swabs, Egg Sampling When Environmental Positive
- Donna Kelly, New Bolton Center Laboratory of Avian Medicine and Pathology, UPenn
- Kim Kennedy, Bureau of Animal Health & Diagnostic Services, PA Department of Agriculture
- Gregory Martin, Penn State Cooperative Extension

•  Administrative Issues - Paul Hostetter, PennAg Industries Association

Presentations for PEQAP Producer/Processor Training

•  Introduction to Egg Food Safety, Salmonella enteritidis (Se) , and PEQAP, plus an FDA Update - Paul Patterson, Department of Poultry Science, The Pennsylvania State University

•  Maintaining PEQAP Compliance - Nan Hanshaw, Bureau of Animal Health & Diagnostic Services, PA Department of Agriculture

•  PEQAP Inspections - Kim Kennedy, Bureau of Animal Health & Diagnostic Services, PA Department of Agriculture

•  Rodent and Fly Monitoring and Control - Gregory Martin, Penn State Cooperative Extension

•  Cleaning and Disinfection of Poultry Houses - Donna Kelly, New Bolton Center Laboratory of Avian Medicine and Pathology, UPenn

•  PEQAP Plant Sanitation and Egg Processing Requirements - Lydia Johnson, Bureau of Food Safety & Laboratory Services, PA Department of Agriculture

•  Administrative Issues and Conclusions - Paul Hostetter, PennAg Industries Association

---

Cooperative Agreement
The Pennsylvania Egg Quality Assurance Program (PEQAP) Cooperative Agreement is signed by PennAg Industry Association Poultry Council, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) and the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PDH). The agreement contains a description of PEQAP, its purpose, program administration, participation and program requirements. It contains procedures by which the PDH and PDA can jointly assure that eggs from PEQAP flocks and premises linked with egg-associated Salmonella enteritidis (SE) contamination are reasonably safe for human consumption. It also contains protocols for investigation and control of SE associated with Pennsylvania eggs.

Operations Annex
The Annex includes the organization of PEQAP and conditions for participation and forms. A hen house initial evaluation and hen house inspection form are included along with PDA verification criteria and protocols for many test evaluations.

PEQAP Protocols
Protocol for Sampling Chick Box Papers
Protocol for Collecting Manure Samples
Protocol for Nest Run Egg Sample Collection
Protocol for Handling of Environmental and Egg Samples after Collection
Protocol for Cleaning and Disinfection of Houses Between Flocks