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Frequently Asked Questions About Egg Food Safety

Egg Food Safety

How does Salmonella infect eggs?

What is an improper egg handling practice?

How should eggs be refrigerated?

Opps, I just realized I left the egg carton on the kitchen counter overnight.
Are the eggs safe to use?

What is an adequate temperature to cook an egg?

Can shell eggs be pasteurized or irradiated to kill Salmonella?

Are egg products pasteurized?

What should you consider when purchasing eggs?

Is the appearance of an egg related to food safety?

How is the egg industry working to promote egg safety?

 

How does Salmonella infect eggs?
Salmonella bacteria are found in the intestinal tracts of animals, birds, reptiles, insects and humans.  Salmonella may be found on the outside of the egg shell before the egg is washed or it may be found inside the egg if the hen was infected.  It is estimated that one egg in 20,000 eggs contains Salmonella which is a 0.005% contamination rate. Eggs contain natural antimicrobial substances in the egg white, and eggs are washed and sanitized before they are packed. Egg recipes properly prepared in individual servings and promptly eaten are rarely a problem  Inadequate refrigeration, improper handling and insufficient cooking are all factors that have contributed to disease outbreaks.  Salmonella is destroyed by heat.  Eggs that have been handled and cooked properly should not cause human illness.

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What is an improper egg handling practice?
The pooling of eggs, which is a common practice where eggs are broken out of their shell, mixing egg white and yolk, then held together in large quantities.  This practice removes the egg's natural barriers and creates a nutrient rich medium that is ideal for bacterial growth. Lack of washing hands and cutting boards with warm soapy water is another contributing factor in approximately one third of the U.S. food borne illness outbreaks reported by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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How should eggs be refrigerated?
Refrigerate raw shell eggs in their cartons on the middle or lower inside shelf, not on the door, and away from any meat that might drip juices or any raw produce that might contact eggshells. Cover or wrap well any egg mixtures or leftover cooked egg dishes. For all perishable foods, including eggs and egg containing dishes, allow no more than 2 hours at room temperature for preparation and serving, 30 minutes to 1 hour when it's 85�F or hotter without refrigeration.

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Opps, I just realized I left the egg carton on the kitchen counter overnight.  Are the eggs safe to use?
The general rule is that if food items are at room temperature for more than 2 hours, the safest thing to do is to discard the product.  If you leave eggs anywhere that is not refrigerated, the best thing to do is throw those eggs away and buy a new carton.  If that is not possible, be sure to cook those eggs very thoroughly.

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What is an adequate temperature to cook an egg?
Egg white coagulates between 144 and 149�F, egg yolk coagulates between 149 and 158�F and whole eggs between 144 and 158�F. Plain whole eggs without added ingredients are pasteurized but not cooked by bringing them to 140�F and maintaining that temperature for 3 and 1/2 minutes.  According to the FDA Food Code, eggs for immediate consumption can be cooked to 145�F for 15 seconds.

If the eggs are to be used in a recipe with other food items, dilute the eggs with with liquid or other ingredients, such as milk, or sugar (at least � cup liquid or sugar per egg as in custard) and cook the egg mixture to 160�F, which will destroy harmful bacteria in a few seconds. Adequate cooking brings eggs and other foods to a temperature high enough to destroy bacteria that might be present.

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Can shell eggs be pasteurized or irradiated to kill Salmonella?
A processor can pasteurize shell eggs if FDA has approved the process.  Pasteurized shell eggs are available in some areas in the U.S.  Shell eggs have recently been approved for irradiation by the US Food and Drug Administration but are not yet available.

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Are egg products pasteurized?
Almost 30% of all shell eggs produced in the US today are broken and further processed to make egg products which are sold as retail or foodservice items or ingredients for commercial food manufacturers. These may be whole liquid egg, egg whites, or egg yolks, and may be liquid, frozen or dried.  The safety of egg products is regulated by the Food Safety Inspection Service of the USDA and is ensured by mandatory pasteurization to destroy potentially harmful pathogens.

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What should you consider when purchasing eggs?
Always buy eggs from a refrigerated case. Choose eggs with clean, uncracked shells. Don't buy out of date eggs. The USDA grade shield on the carton means that the eggs were graded for quality and checked for weight under the supervision of a trained USDA grader.  State agencies monitor compliance for egg packers who do not use the USDA grading service.

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Is the appearance of an egg related to food safety?
Variation in egg color is due to many factors.  A cloudy white is a sign that the egg is very fresh. A clear egg white is an indication that the egg is aging. Pink or iridescent egg white indicates spoilage and should not be consumed. A rupture of one or more small blood vessels in the yolk may cause blood spots at the time of ovulation. It does not indicate the egg is unsafe to eat.  The color of the yolk varies in shades of yellow depending upon the diet of the hen.  If she eats plenty of yellow/orange plants the yolk with be a darker yellow than if she eats white cornmeal, a colorless diet. A green ring on a hard cooked yolk is result of overcooking and is caused by sulfur and iron compounds in the egg reacting on the yolk's surface. The green color can also be caused by a high amount of iron in the cooking water.  Scrambled eggs held too long on a steam table or at too high a temperature can also develop a green tint.  The green color is safe to eat.

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How is the egg industry working to promote egg safety?
Egg industry programs start by keeping breeder flocks Salmonella free. The National Poultry Improvement Plan, a joint program between the industry and the US Department of Agriculture, is a model program for preventing breeder stock infection.

Ongoing research projects are dedicated to discovering how Salmonella gets into flocks and how it might be blocked.

A number of farm level programs such as the United Egg Producer's 5 Star program, apply quality control measures and sanitation procedures all through the production, processing and preparation phases, including testing chicks to confirm their cleanliness and Salmonella free status. By holding eggs at cool temperatures (45�F) during production and transportation stages, producers help to ensure that any Salmonella present will not multiply and less bacteria will be available to spread or risk infecting the consumer.

The American Egg Board and the Egg Nutrition Center are members of the Partnership for Food Safety Education www.fightbac.org, a unique industry and government coalition whose purpose is to reduce foodborne illness by educating the public about safe food handling practices.

 

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