By: Tony Flood   Date: 8/30/10

Due to the mounting questions, concerns and misinformation that are rampant on the internet today regarding the current Salmonella outbreak and subsequent egg recall, I thought it wise to provide a few facts to help you put the risk in perspective; 
information to help you make an informed decision about the food you plan to eat at your next breakfast or brunch this weekend.

First of all – there is a nationwide recall of eggs in effect.  If you have any of these eggs in your refrigerator, throw them out immediately.  For a complete list of eggs included in this recall, visit www.fda.gov.

Now, let’s not forget that eggs are a delicious source of protein, vitamins and minerals.  Many nutrition experts routinely consider the egg the most perfect protein.  In addition, they are one of the least expensive sources of protein on the market today.  According to our colleagues at the University of California at Davis, large chicken eggs usually contain about 60 calories and can be added to the plate of any diet –conscious individual.

Secondly, eggs and laying hens and almost all barnyard animals are natural sources of pathogen growth.  Pathogens, such as Salmonella species, occur naturally in their environments.  It’s the cleanliness of the environment that prohibits or promotes pathogen growth.  That’s why it’s vitally important as an egg –consuming consumer that we follow simple, practical steps to reduce the risk of possible foodborne illness due to a possibly contaminated eggs or egg products.

These steps include:
Cook – Perhaps the most important step in regards to egg safety.  Eggs, whether organic, cage –free, free range; brown, white, extra –large – they should all be cooked until the yolks are nice and firm – never runny.  I take mine hard –scrambled please . . .

Clean – When at home always remember to clean hand, surfaces and cooking utensils often and with warm, soapy water.  Hand washing is always important not only to prevent cross contamination but also to prevent the spread of potential viruses as well as germs.

Separate – always be certain to separate cooked food items from your raw rood items and use separate cutting boards and serving trays for separating these items.  Raw fruits and vegetables should never be chopped on your cutting board that was just used to season your raw chicken.  Consider using different colored boards to identify which should be used for raw vs. cooked foods.

Chill – chill foods within two (2) hours or serving.  This will help reduce the risk of your food going bad.  Food that put a lot of time and effort into preparing.  Eggs and everything else in your refrigerator should be kept below 40 degrees to prevent the spread of bacteria.

You may also have questions about the different types of eggs in the market today.  Regular, free –range, cage –free and organic are the main types andare all different types of farm and production methods.  The labels indicate the production methods used by the farmer.  Regardless of the production method, safety issues can and do exist.  Experts say there is no significant difference in the safety or nutritional quality among the different types of eggs.  There is however a difference in price for the consumer due to the cost of a preferred production method.  If you want to make sure your eggs are as safe as possible, pasteurization is the way to go.  According to Marianne Smith Edge, Senior Vice President for Safety and Nutrition at IFIC, “Pasteurized eggs do guarantee a certain level of safety as they have undergone a high enough temperature (wash) which essentially kills any type of potential bacteria such as Salmonella, but doesn’t affect the nutritional quality.”

So go ahead and enjoy your share of properly cooked, safe and nutritious eggs at brunch this weekend or any other day of the week.

Got an ‘egg –citing’ story to tell?  Feel free to share it.