An Important Reminder on Egg Safety

Do You Know the Correct Way to Handle and Cook Eggs?

Last week, there was a recall of eggs produced from 2 farms in Iowa due to a possible salmonella contamination. While none of those recalled brands of eggs were being sold in North Carolina, many people have questions about the safety of eggs. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) both agree that thoroughly cooked eggs are safe to eat. Egg Farmers are urging consumers to practice safe handling and thoroughly cook their eggs.

In a recent news interview, registered dietitian Elizabeth Ward gets specific on the do’s and don’ts on how to safely handle and properly cook eggs in your kitchen. She states that “eggs should be cooked until the whites and yolks are firm or, for your favorite recipes containing eggs, until an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit is reached. It’s important to remember that Salmonella is destroyed by the heat of cooking.”

Also remember the four basic rules for safe food handling:

1. Clean: This includes thoroughly cleaning your hands, as well as the surfaces and utensils that come into contact with raw eggs – an important step for avoiding cross-contamination.
2. Separate: Be sure to separate eggs from other foods in your grocery cart, grocery bags and in the refrigerator to prevent cross-contamination.
3. Cook: In addition, eggs should be cooked until the white and yolks are firm or, for dishes containing eggs, until an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit is reached. Salmonella is destroyed by the heat of cooking.
4. Chill: Lastly, eggs should always be kept in the main section of the refrigerator at a temperature between 33 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and eggs accidentally left at room temperature should be discarded after two hours, or one hour in warm weather.

The U. S. egg industry has a long and demonstrated commitment to food safety programs and uses tough food safety measures to help protect against food-borne illness. Chief among these methods are: modern, sanitary housing systems; stringent rodent control and bio-security controls; vaccination against Salmonella Enteriditis; cleaning and sanitizing of hen houses and farms; testing. Additionally, America’s egg farmers are committed to working closely with the Food and Drug Administration to ensure recent egg safety regulations are properly implemented and the gains in food safety the industry has worked for decades to achieve are maintained.

The North Carolina Egg Farmers are proud of the safe, affordable and wholesome product that they produce and supply to consumers. In 1955, the NC Department of Agriculture and North Carolina’s egg farmers established an Egg Law program. This program is administered by the NCDA Food & Drug Administration and includes the inspection of egg farms, the egg processing and packing plants and the grocery stores and foodservice establishments who sell and use eggs. They check for sanitation of stores and eggs, egg interior and exterior quality, and temperature. All eggs must be sold from refrigeration at 45 degrees Fahrenheit or less without freezing. Not all states have an Egg Law with regular grocery store and food service egg inspections.

For more information regarding eggs and food safety, visit www.ncegg.org or www.eggsafety.org.