Fresh eggs, even those with clean shells without cracks, contain bacteria called Salmonella, which can cause foodborne illnesses, often called “food poisoning.”
The FDA has implemented regulations to help prevent contamination of eggs on the farm and during transportation and storage, but consumers also play a key role in preventing egg-related illnesses. Protect yourself and your family by following these safe handling tips when purchasing, storing, preparing and serving eggs, or foods containing them.
What is Salmonella ?
Salmonella , the name of a group of bacteria, is a common cause of food poisoning in the United States. Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, and vomiting 12 to 72 hours after infection. Symptoms usually last 4 to 7 days, and most people improve without treatment.
However, in some people, the diarrhea can be so severe that they need to be hospitalized. In these patients, the Salmonella infection can spread from the intestines to the bloodstream, and then to other places in the body, and can cause death unless the person is treated quickly with antibiotics. Certain people are at higher risk for serious illness, including children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems (such as transplant patients and people with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and diabetes). .
The FDA requires that all cartons of shell eggs that have not been treated to destroy Salmonella bear this safe handling statement:
Instructions for safe handling
- To prevent bacterial diseases: keep eggs refrigerated, cook eggs .
- Until the yolks are firm, and cook foods containing eggs completely.
Yes, eggs that have been treated to destroy Salmonella —through shell pasteurization—do not need to carry safe handling instructions, but labels will generally say that they have been treated.
Buy
You can keep eggs safe by making wise purchasing decisions at the grocery store.
- Buy eggs only if they are sold from a refrigerator or refrigerated container.
- Open the carton and make sure the eggs are clean and the shells are not cracked.
Store
Proper storage of eggs can affect both quality and safety.
- Store them quickly in a clean refrigerator at a temperature of 4° C or lower. Use a refrigerator thermometer to check.
- Store eggs in their original carton and use within 3 weeks for best quality.
- Use hard-boiled eggs (in the shell or peeled) within 1 week after being cooked.
- Use frozen eggs within 1 year. Eggs should not be frozen in their shells. To freeze whole eggs, beat the yolks and whites together. Egg whites can also be frozen separately.
- Refrigerate leftover cooked egg dishes and use within 3 to 4 days. When refrigerating a large quantity of leftovers containing eggs, divide them among several shallow containers so they cool quickly.
Preparations
Wash hands, utensils, equipment, and work surfaces with hot soapy water before and after they come into contact with raw eggs and foods containing raw eggs.
- Cook the eggs until both the yolk and white are firm. Scrambled eggs should not be runny.
- Stews and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 70° C. Use a food thermometer to be sure.
- For recipes that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served—such as Caesar salad dressing and homemade ice cream—use shell eggs that have been treated to destroy Salmonella through pasteurization or another approved method, or products with pasteurized eggs.
A NOTE ON EASTER EGGS
Easter eggs must be boiled before being colored. DO NOT eat them after hiding or playing with them. Bacteria and viruses collected on the shells can be transferred to the edible part of the egg.
Serve
Follow these guidelines for serving eggs and egg dishes.
- Serve cooked eggs (such as hard-boiled eggs and fried eggs) and foods containing eggs (such as quiches and soufflés) immediately after cooking. Boiled eggs and egg dishes can be refrigerated for later serving, but should be thoroughly reheated to 74°C before serving.
- Never leave cooked eggs or egg dishes out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours or more than 1 hour when temperatures are above 32° C. Bacteria that can cause illness grow rapidly at warm temperatures (between 4° C and 60 °C).
- For party planning, keep hot egg dishes hot and cold egg dishes cold:
- Keep egg dishes refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Serve small platters of reheated eggs at the same time to ensure the food stays at the correct temperature. Refill as needed, or at least every 2 hours.
- Keep cold egg dishes on ice if they will be out more than 2 hours.
- Keep egg dishes refrigerated until ready to serve.
Transport
- For picnics, pack boiled eggs and egg dishes in an insulated cooler with enough ice or frozen gel packs to keep them cold.
- Transport the cooler in the passenger compartment of the car, not in the trunk, which is much warmer. At the picnic area, put the cooler in the shade if possible, and keep the lid closed as much as possible.
- For work or school, pack boiled eggs with a small frozen gel pack or frozen juice box.
About food poisoning
Know the symptoms
Ingesting dangerous foodborne bacteria typically causes discomfort 1 to 3 days after consuming the contaminated food. However, discomfort may also occur within 20 minutes or up to 6 weeks later. Although most people recover from food poisoning in a short time, some people can develop chronic, severe, or even life-threatening health problems.
Food poisoning is sometimes confused with other illnesses with similar symptoms. Symptoms of food poisoning may include:
- Vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
- Flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, and body aches.
