Eggs are a potentially hazardous food, but there is no reason consumers can’t enjoy them safely this Easter holiday season. Like other perishable food items, all it takes is a little common sense when it comes to handling, preparing, and storing eggs.
“Eggs are an animal product, just like any other meat product, and are exposed to food pathogens,” says Sarah Schwab, food safety specialist with the Oregon Department of Agriculture. “That’s why it is important to keep them properly refrigerated and to cook them thoroughly.”
Just like meat, an increase in pathogens can be slowed or controlled through refrigeration. Pathogens can be eliminated with thorough cooking.
“Easter brings eggs to the forefront,” says Schwab. “But throughout the year, all of us should be conscientious about how we handle eggs.”
Cooking potentially hazardous foods is the key. Heat will destroy the organism that would make someone sick. Still, there are many recipes that call for raw eggs as an ingredient. Consumers should be aware those foods can also cause illness.
“Consuming raw eggs is cause for concern, especially for those people who are most susceptible– the old, the very young, pregnant women, and immune-compromised individuals,” says Schwab.
For those who insist on eating raw cookie dough and Caesar salad, there are pasteurized egg products that can be purchased at the grocery store. Hollandaise sauce, homemade mayonnaise, and eggnog are other products with recipes that may call for uncooked eggs. The safe thing to do is use the pasteurized product.
While salmonella is the main culprit of egg safety, the high amount of protein and moisture associated with eggs leaves them vulnerable to other food pathogens. Cross contaminating an egg mixture can be hazardous simply because the egg can support rapid growth of other bacteria.
Whether they come from small processors or large ones, all eggs are required to be washed and sanitized as well as graded and sized before they get to the marketplace. Mechanization and automation of the egg industry has helped make the egg safer prior to purchase. From the hen house to the processing line where the egg is washed, inspected, and packaged, those eggs routinely avoid contact with the human hand. That doesn’t guarantee that Oregonians automatically end up with a problem-free egg.
“We inspect both the commercial egg operations and the grocery stores that carry eggs to ensure proper handling and transportation with respect to temperatures,” says Schwab.
For consumers, a time of concern is after the eggs are purchased at the store.
“Eggs need to be refrigerated as soon as possible,” says Schwab. “Get them home quickly along with other perishable foods.”
Eggs should be kept in refrigeration that is 41 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. It’s best to consume eggs within five weeks if they remain raw, although any problems are most likely to be with the quality of the egg, not food safety-related. Leaving the eggs in the carton may allow them to last longer.
When it comes to eggs, proper preparation is essential.
Eggs should be cooked slowly over a gentle heat. Hard-boiled eggs need to be cooked until they are no longer runny, but firm. Cooked egg products should reach a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the egg is cooked, it’s best to consume it within a week. After boiling, the eggs need to get back into the refrigerator within two hours. Letting them sit on the stovetop is not advised.
Despite the freshness, consumers need to handle eggs as a potentially hazardous food.
Eggs can be part of a healthy diet during Easter as well as the rest of the year. Only when they are mishandled are they likely to become a problem.
“There is no reason not to enjoy eggs this time of year, but we’ve got to be smart about it,” says Schwab.
