eggs have been in the news a lot recently and for once it isn’t the cholesterol that is making people fearful over eggs. this time it’s salmonella enteriditis which appears to be able to infect the ovaries of chickens and can cause their eggs (usually the egg white) to be contaminated from the inside out. the eggs in question have been traced to a couple of high-volume egg producers in iowa. but this outbreak aside keep in mind that there are over 140 000 egg-related salmonella illnesses each year in the u. s. according to fda estimates. most salmonella cases don’t require a doctor visit and can resolve in one to three days according to the fda but it’s the 1 percent of cases that are severe require hospitalization and are cause for great concern. i don’t know about you but i don’t even want to experience the one to three-day salmonella poisoning. there is some hope that there will be a lower risk of salmonella from eggs in the future. new fda regulations which went into effect in july this year are expected to cut the number of salmonella-carrying eggs by 60 percent. egg-laying hens are thought to get salmonella from a couple different ways and it ain’t pretty that’s for sure — through germs carried by flies and from eating the excrement of rodents that get into their feed. i personally am not afraid to use and enjoy eggs in my recipes and meals. i just automatically cook my eggs completely. i also use half eggs and half pasteurized egg substitute or egg white when making egg-based entrees to bring down the saturated fat and cholesterol. and i try to purchase cage-free eggs (even better when they are cage-free and higher omega-3) for a variety of reasons. what else can you do? * use the eggs you buy within four weeks. * keep eggs refrigerated at least to 45f at all times. store eggs in their carton in the center of the refrigerator instead of removing them and storing them in the door which may not be cold enough. * to substantially reduce the risk of salmonella do not eat raw eggs and cook your eggs and egg dishes completely (the white and yolk will be firm. ) * wash your hands cooking utensils and food prep surfaces thoroughly after being in contact with eggshells and raw eggs. * don’t eat recalled eggs or products containing recalled eggs. * discard cracked or dirty eggs. * don’t keep eggs warm or at room temperature for more than two hours. * refrigerate unused or leftover egg-containing foods as soon as possible.
how should i store and prepare eggs safely?