July 8, 2009
With a number of food safety issues staring it in the face, the Food and Drug Administration is moving to resolve the persistent problem of contaminated eggs. The agency has outlined steps to help make eggs safer to eat, by reducing the number of illnesses caused by contamination with the bacterium Salmonella enteritidis.
The regulation requires the egg industry to take specific measures to keep eggs safe during their production, storage and transport. Producers will be required to register with FDA and to maintain a prevention plan and records to show they are following the regulation.
Salmonella is a major cause of foodborne illness in the United States. Eating raw or undercooked eggs is an important source of SE infections in people. FDA estimates that 142,000 illnesses each year are caused by consuming eggs contaminated with Salmonella.
Salmonella infections can be very serious, even life-threatening, especially to the very young, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. Infected people may experience:
• diarrhea
• fever
• abdominal cramps
• headache
• nausea
• vomiting
Some infected people may suffer from severe illness, arthritis, or even death.
Eggs can become contaminated on the farm because a laying hen can become infected with SE and pass the bacteria into the egg before it is laid. If the egg is not refrigerated, the bacteria can grow inside the uncracked, whole egg.
The regulation will reduce the risk that eggs from an estimated 3,300 farms that produce most of the U.S. egg supply will be contaminated with SE. As a result, FDA estimates 79,000 illnesses and 30 deaths will be avoided each year -- a reduction of nearly 60 percent in egg-related illnesses from SE.
In addition to the new safety measures being taken by industry, consumers can reduce their risk of foodborne illness by following a few simple steps:
• Buy eggs only if they are sold from a refrigerator or refrigerated case.
• Open the carton and make sure that the eggs are clean and the shells are not cracked.
• Refrigerate the eggs promptly after purchase.
• Cook eggs until yolks are firm, and cook foods containing eggs thoroughly.
