Eggs, like meat, poultry, milk, and other foods, are safe when handled properly. Shell eggs are safest when stored in the refrigerator, individually and thoroughly cooked, and promptly consumed. The larger the number of Salmonella present in the egg, the more likely it is to cause illness. Keeping eggs adequately refrigerated prevents any Salmonella present in the eggs from growing to higher numbers, so eggs should be kept refrigerated until they are used. – from CDC.gov
You probably already know that an outbreak of Salmonella has sickened about 1000 people across the country. This has led to a recall of more than a half-billion eggs. Traced back to the two Iowa egg producers, Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms, this recall is the biggest in recent history, and includes a handful of brands such as Lucerne, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Dutch Farms and Kemps, among others. It seems that these companies were not operating with proper safety standards. Very irresponsible! These eggs were shipped to 17 different states: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. Cases of Salmonella have been reported in Arizona, California, Colorado, Minnesota, and Nevada, but most can’t be confirmed as related to the recalled eggs. How can you tell if your eggs have been recalled? Read the numbers on your egg cartons and to see if your brand and number is on the list. If you live in one of the affected areas, don’t give up eating eggs completely – consider buying pasteurized shell or liquid eggs instead. Visit www.safeeggs.com to find a local retailer. Resources:
- FoodSafety.gov: Eggs and Egg Products
- CDC.gov: Tips to Reduce Your Risk of Salmonella from Eggs
I have a tummy bug right now–but makes me wonder since I ate eggs on Saturday morning at a restaurant. I did call the health department, just in case, but fortunately they have no word that any contaminated eggs are in my state.
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With the government wanting to get more control over the egg industry to try to prevent similar recalls in the future, expect more complex regulations, more complex paperwork, more complex inspections. The result will invariably be lax oversight by the government, higher prices for the eggs and no improvement in quality or recalls. History has proven this over and over again, the futility of complex oversight.