What You Can Do to Reduce the Risk of Getting Salmonella from Eggs

With the recent egg recall and salmonella outbreak, consumers are afraid to eat any eggs right now. There are ways to help prevent salmonella from occurring in eggs. Every time you handle eggs treat every egg as if it is contaminated even though they may not be. Treat your eggs just like it was a piece of raw chicken because the salmonella could be on the inside of the eggs just as well on the outside. Stay away from raw eggs.

Eggs are safe to eat when handled the proper way just like chicken and milk are. Shell eggs are safest when stored in the refrigerator, individually and thoroughly cooked, and promptly consumed. The more the number of Salmonella is present in an egg, the more it is likely to cause an illness. Since adequate refrigeration of eggs does keep any Salmonella from growing into a large amount, eggs should be kept refrigerated at all times until you are ready to use them.

Cooking eggs thoroughly reduces the number of bacteria present in an egg. Cooking an egg but leaving a runny yolk poses a greater risk of than a completely cooked egg. Since egg whites and yolks that are undercooked have been known to be the cause of the Salmonella infections too, they should be eaten soon after wards and not be kept warm and eaten later. Do not leave them sitting out at room temperature for more than two hours. Every time you handle eggs, thoroughly wash them off with warm, soapy water and rinse them well. Then thoroughly wash your hands with warm, soapy water after handling eggs.

Cooking eggs does destroy bacteria, but just to be safe, eggs should be cooked thoroughly until both the white and the yolk are firm and should be eaten right away. Eggs that are cooked sunny-side-up or over-easy to where the yolks are still runny indicate that the proper temperature has not been reached. To be safe, you can just use liquid eggs or pasteurized eggs like many people in the food industry are doing until the egg scare goes away. Cooked eggs are okay to eat just as long as you may sure that they are thoroughly cooked through and through.

Symptoms of the Salmonella bacterium being present is; abdominal cramps accompanied with diarrhea which usually starts after twelve to seventy two hours after consuming a food or beverage that is contaminated. The illness will usually last between four to seven days. Many people do fine without the need for antibiotics, but if a person has a severe case of diarrhea, then the need for hospitalization may be needed to help prevent severe dehydration, which can occur fast anytime diarrhea sets in. The elderly, infants, and anyone with an impaired immune system could have a more severe case of salmonella.

Extra Tips:

Keep eggs refrigerated 45 degrees

Discard cracked or dirty eggs.

Wash hands, cooking utensils, and food preparation surfaces with soap and water after contact with raw eggs.

Eggs should be cooked until both the white and the yolk are firm and eaten promptly after cooking.

Do not keep eggs warm or at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Refrigerate unused or leftover egg-containing foods promptly.

Avoid eating raw eggs.

Avoid restaurant dishes made with raw or undercooked, un pasteurized eggs.

Especially young children, elderly persons, should avoid consumption of raw or undercooked eggs, and persons with weakened immune systems or debilitating illness.

The way salmonella gets into eggs is from a hen's stool which is already contaminated with salmonella by insects or rats that have carried the salmonella into the coop and then infects the hen and when she empties herself out and then lays on the eggs, her stool contaminates the outer part of the eggs which is why it is so very important to thoroughly wash the eggs off before you crack them to use them. Salmonella can also contaminate both the yolk of the egg and the white part of the egg, and all of this happens well before the shell is formed.

Sources:

Personal Experience

Working in the Food Industry

Attended Food Safety Classes