Egg crack prevention requires coordination across all sectors of the industry rather than isolated department efforts, explained U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Director of U.S. National Poultry Research Center Deana Jones. How cracks happen in production, processingCracks often originate from shell formation problems during egg laying. A complete crack is an efficient contamination pathway for microorganisms because they do not have to work through the shell's natural barriers. According to Jones, there has been an increase in Salmonella recalls associated with eggs in recent years, primarily from smaller egg producers. Additionally, consumers may or may not properly cook or consume an egg with a crack due to varying consumer awareness levels of the associated food safety risks.