Dietista

Egg Safety

Eggs are often associated with foodborne illness outbreaks because they are carriers of Salmonella Enteritidis. According to scientists and epidemiologists, fresh eggs have been foundto carry this pathogen within their shells directly from the hens. It's known in scientific language as a "transovarian infection." The following guidelines will help you to both store and prepareeggs in a manner that minimizes the risk of foodborne illness from raw shell eggs:
• Avoid serving or consuming raw eggs and foods that contain raw eggs (Caesar salad, Hollandaise sauce, eggnog,etc.). Commercial food products are made with pasteurized eggs and are much safer for human consumption. If unpasteurized or raw shell eggs are used in menu items that will be served raw orundercooked, consumers must be informed of the significantly increase risk of consuming such food (see Consumer Advisory).
• Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm and not runny in order to killbacteria.
• Substitute pasteurized eggs and egg products for shell eggs whenever possible. These types of products have already been heat treated to destroy bacteria.
• If you use shell eggs, makesure and serve cooked eggs and egg-rich foods immediately after cooking (serve at 135 degrees Fahrenheit or higher). Chances of salmonella bacteria being present are slim.
• If you refrigerate alarge portion of leftover cooked eggs or egg-rich foods, do so in small batches to ensure quick cooling.
• If your establishment serves a highly susceptible population, time only as a publichealth control cannot be used for raw eggs.
Pooling of Eggs
Recipes in which one or more eggs are broken and the eggs are combined (e.g. French toast) shall substitute pasteurized eggs or egg productsfor raw eggs. This rule does not apply if:
• The raw eggs, combined immediately before cooking for one consumer serving at a single meal, are cooked to 145°F for 15 seconds or as specified...