The European Commission has adopted two regulations to curb the prevalence of Salmonella in poultry and eggs across the EU, the commission said in a press release. The first regulation sets out targets for the reduction of Salmonella in laying hens, which in turn would lead to less Salmonella in eggs.

Each EU member state will have to meet an annual target of reducing the number of laying hens infected with Salmonella by a specific minimum percentage, with steeper targets for countries with higher levels of Salmonella.

The ultimate target is to bring down Salmonella levels to 2 percent or less.

The second regulation sets out rules on the methods used to control Salmonella in poultry, including mandatory vaccination from 2008 onwards for laying hens with a Salmonella prevalence of 10 percent or more.

In addition to the two regulations, the Commission is also considering the feasibility of accelerating the introduction of a ban on marketing eggs from Salmonella-infected flocks.