Tips on Handling and Cooking Eggs Safely to Prevent Salmonella

Americans are more concerned than ever about salmonella since the 2008 - 2009 outbreak of it when peanut butter and peanut-butter related products were recalled. That incident has created 714 reported cases of salmonella reaching 46 states so far. Although any food can become tainted with salmonella, milk and eggs are at the greatest risk. Eggs in particular can become infected from hens that have salmonella. Still, over 93 percent of Americans eat eggs. And 30 per cent eat their eggs in recipes where they are undercooked. Read this informative article and find out some tips on handling and cooking eggs safely to prevent salmonella!

How Big of a Health Problem Is Salmonella?
Salmonella causes 1.4 million illnesses, 15,000 hospitalizations and 400 deaths in the United States every year, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Tips On Handling and Cooking Eggs Safely to Prevent Salmonella

1. When buying raw eggs, choose only Grade AA or Grade A eggs that are clean, have no cracks in them, and have been kept refrigerated. Choose the freshest eggs by checking the date on the carton. Refrigerate the eggs by placing their carton in your refrigerator as soon as you get home. Eggs should be refrigerated between 33 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Or, choose liquid, frozen, and dried pasteurized egg products instead of raw eggs to prevent salmonella. Pasteurized eggs have basically been removed from their shells and heated to kill any Salmonella bacteria. Not all egg products are pasteurized. So make sure the package states the product is in fact "pasteurized" and carries the USDA inspection mark.

3. Use soap and water to wash any cooking utensils and countertops that have come in contact with raw eggs. Also, wash your hands with soap and water before and after you crack eggs open, and during the preparation process, to prevent salmonella contamination.

4. Another tip on handling and cooking eggs safely to prevent salmonella is, to thoroughly cook egg recipes since a sufficient amount of heat kills the Salmonella bacteria. That means, cook scrambled eggs, omelets and frittatas until they are firm and are no longer runny. Fried and poached eggs should be cooked until the whites are set and the yolks are thick.

You should use a thermometer to check casseroles and other recipes that contain raw eggs. Cooking them until they have an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit in the center of the dish will kill any Salmonella bacteria that may be present.

Hard-boiled eggs are the safest to eat because they have reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit because of they way they are cooked. So, any risk of Salmonella has been eliminated.

5. Another tip on handling and cooking eggs safely to prevent salmonella is to pay attention to any eggs you order when you eat out. Don't be afraid to ask about how foods that contain raw eggs have been prepared. Make sure they have been cooked thoroughly. Afterall, you're looking out for your own health.

Resources
http://www.bioportfolio.com/news/Food_Safety_Expert:_Americans_Not_Aware_of.html
http://incredibleegg.org/
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/salment_g.htm
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/Egg_Products_and_Food_Safety/index.asp