KINGSTON, R.I. 鈥� April 21, 2026 鈥� As more families and small enterprises enter the egg market and more consumers buy local food, the stakes around backyard egg safety are growing. A single outbreak linked to small producers could pose a setback to public confidence in locally sourced food at a critical moment for New England鈥檚 regional food system.
Are small-scale producers equipped to keep their eggs safe for their families and potential buyers?
A new study by Terpase Gbaa, a Ph.D. candidate in the 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 Department of , is seeking those answers. Gbaa is surveying small-scale and backyard egg farmers across the region to assess their awareness of food safety practices and identify gaps that could put consumers at risk. The survey is open to participants from Rhode Island and Connecticut.
Gbaa is a member of 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 , which conducts food systems research, led by Associate Professor . Baur鈥檚 lab aims to develop scale-appropriate food safety strategies and best practices that are specific to smaller operations. Adding extra burdens to small businesses is not the goal, Baur said.
鈥淔ood safety can be very expensive and intensive food safety rules can also be a barrier to entry,鈥� he commented, 鈥渕eaning that it’s harder for young people to get started in farming and other food businesses because of the steep learning curve and higher up-front cost.鈥�
With expertise in the food and beverage and animal feed industries as well as quality control, Gbaa brings scientific insight and practical experience to his program at 溏心vlog免费B站, with a focus on food safety and quality assurance. He is collaborating on the project with Indu Upadhyaya at the University of Connecticut.
Regional self-sufficiency
The new study comes as part of regional efforts that aim to grow New England鈥檚 food self-sufficiency so that more food consumed in the region is locally produced. These initiatives seek to boost economic development, improve food security, and provide regional resilience to protect against supply chain shocks.
Eggs are a key piece of that puzzle鈥攁ffordable, protein-rich, and well-suited to small farm production. However, eggs and the chickens that produce them can also carry pathogens such as avian influenza or salmonella, potentially causing significant illness in humans. Smaller-scale producers with smaller flocks have less exposure, but the risk is never zero.
鈥淢inimizing their vulnerability to contamination is important,鈥� Baur said. 鈥淭his project aims to help small-scale producers have the tools, knowledge, and skills needed to manage and reduce their vulnerability in the same way that their larger, better-resourced counterparts do. We want to make sure that smaller-scale producers have access to what they need to provide the safest eggs possible.鈥�
Large-scale commercial egg farms are subject to strict federal food safety laws and U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations. However, small-scale producers (those with fewer than 3,000 laying hens) are exempt from those rules. This regulatory gap means many backyard and small-farm producers operate without formal food safety plans and could benefit from increased guidance and knowledge on best practices to ensure safe eggs for their families, friends, and farmers markets where they sell.
鈥淪mall-scale producers are highly motivated and committed,鈥� Baur said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not a question of 鈥榮mall-scale producers need more rules,鈥� but more that these producers need food safety management approaches that are designed to fit their operational model. They want to do the right thing, and this project will help them to know what the right thing is and how to implement it.鈥�
Unlike large commercial facilities, small producers may lack formal food safety training and rarely have a structured Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point plan, a foundational tool in professional food safety management that Gbaa is well familiar with, tailored to their unique production needs. Gbaa鈥檚 background will be crucial as he looks at identified gaps, starting with surveying small-scale and backyard egg producers to measure their knowledge, attitude, practices and resource needs around food safety.
鈥淥ur goal is to develop a HACCP plan specifically tailored to the realities of resource-limited small farms, where time, money, and staff are often in short supply,鈥� he said.
Gbaa says he hopes the survey, and the HACCP tool that follows, will give New England鈥檚 small-scale egg producers the practical guidance they need to keep their eggs and customers safe.
鈥淲e are not looking to scare people away from small-scale egg producers,鈥� Gbaa said, 鈥渂ut to be proactive and ensure preventive control of human food. Coming up with a uniform hazard plan for small-scale producers will offer guidance on critical control points like collecting eggs on time, washing, and refrigeration. This will help small farmers produce the healthiest eggs they can, for consumers and their own business bottom lines.鈥�
Egg producers in New England interested in participating in the survey can email Patrick Baur (pbaur@uri.edu) to join.