Code of Federal Regulations Title 21. Food and Drugs § 21.118.3 Definitions

The definitions and interpretations of terms in section 201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FFDCA) (21 U.S.C. 321) are applicable to such terms when used in this part, except where they are redefined in this part. The following definitions also apply:

Biosecurity means a program, including the limiting of visitors on the farm and in poultry houses, maintaining personnel and equipment practices that will protect against cross contamination from one poultry house to another, preventing stray poultry, wild birds, cats, and other animals from entering poultry houses, and not allowing employees to keep birds at home, to ensure that there is no introduction or transfer of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) onto a farm or among poultry houses.

Egg products facility means a USDA–inspected egg products plant where liquid, frozen, and/or dried egg products are produced.

Farm means all poultry houses and grounds immediately surrounding the poultry houses covered under a single biosecurity program.

Flock means all laying hens within one poultry house.

Group means all laying hens of the same age within one poultry house.

Induced molting means molting that is artificially initiated.

Laying cycle means the period of time that a hen begins to produce eggs until it undergoes induced molting or is permanently taken out of production and the period of time that a hen produces eggs between successive induced molting periods or between induced molting and the time that the hen is permanently taken out of production.

Molting means a life stage during which hens stop laying eggs and shed their feathers.

Pest means any objectionable animal including, but not limited to, rodents, flies, and larvae.

Positive flock means a flock that has had an egg test that was positive for SE. A flock is considered positive until that flock meets the egg testing requirements in § 118.6(c) to return to table egg production.

Positive poultry house means a poultry house from which there has been an environmental test that was positive for SE at any time during the life of a group in the poultry house until that house is cleaned and disinfected according to § 118.4(d).

Poultry house means a building, other structure, or separate section within a structure used to house poultry. For structures comprising more than one section containing poultry, each section that is separated from the other sections is considered a separate house.

Producer means a person who owns and/or operates a poultry house containing laying hens which produce shell eggs for human consumption.

Shell egg (or egg) means the egg of the domesticated chicken.

Shell egg processing facility means a facility that processes (e.g., washes, grades, packs) shell eggs for the table egg market.

Treatment (or treated) means a technology or process that achieves at least a 5–log destruction of SE for shell eggs, or the processing of egg products in accordance with the Egg Products Inspection Act.