California consumers may soon see a new seal of approval on the eggs they purchase. An interagency task force including scientists from private industry, federal and state agencies, and the University of California is developing a new educational program to improve the safety and quality of California eggs. The program aims to educate the egg industry on food safety practices to prevent food-borne illnesses and to develop a voluntary statewide certification program that would boost consumer confidence in the egg industry, according to Ralph Ernst, a UC Davis Cooperative Extension poultry specialist. "California hasn't had a major egg-related health problem, and we don't want to have one," Ernst says. "So we would like to have the highest quality product possible and the greatest assurance that it is free of harmful bacteria." The plan is modeled after a similar effort by the California beef industry.