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Food Safety and Inspection
Service United States Department of Agriculture Washington, D.C. 20250-3700 |
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Food Safety and Inspection
Service United States Department of Agriculture Washington, D.C. 20250-3700 |
WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 1996 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today offered tips for the safe handling of shell eggs in response to recent consumer concerns about egg safety.
According to Bessie Berry, Director of USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline, a number of callers to the nationwide toll-free Hotline have sought advice about how to properly purchase eggs at the grocery store, and safely store and serve eggs at home.
"Eggs can be part of a healthy diet, but they are perishable and must be properly refrigerated at all times and cooked thoroughly," advised Berry. "Some unbroken shell eggs may contain a bacteria called Salmonella enteritidis, which can make you sick if eggs are not carefully handled."
Berry advised that people with health problems, the very young, and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to foodborne illness. "Proper refrigeration, handling and cooking of eggs should prevent most problems."
To be "egg safe", the Hotline advises the following:
-- Always buy eggs from a refrigerated display case. DO NOT purchase eggs anywhere that are not refrigerated. Any bacteria present in the egg can grow quickly if stored at room temperature.
-- At the store, choose Grade A or AA eggs with clean, uncracked shells. It does not matter whether they are white or brown in color.
-- Take eggs and all other perishable foods directly home. If there are errands to run, do them first and save the grocery shopping for last.
-- Place the eggs in the original grocery carton in the coldest part of the refrigerator promptly. Do not store in the door. A home refrigerator should be set to 40°F; if in doubt, purchase a refrigerator thermometer to be absolutely sure.
-- When storing, do not wash the eggs first. If any eggs cracked on the way home, or at home, break those shell eggs into a clean container, cover tightly and keep refrigerated for use within 2 days.
-- Avoid eating raw or undercooked eggs or foods that contain them. Examples of foods to avoid are milkshakes made with raw eggs, Caesar salad, Hollandaise sauce, homemade mayonnaise, homemade ice cream, and eggnog made from recipes in which the raw egg ingredients are not cooked.
-- Use refrigerated raw shell eggs within 3 to 5 weeks. Hard cooked eggs will keep in the refrigerator up to one week. Use leftover yolks and whites within 2 to 4 days.
-- Do not freeze fresh eggs in the shell, or hard-cooked eggs. Raw yolks and whites, however, can be frozen separately -- or blended -- for up to a year.
-- Wash hands, utensils, equipment and work areas with warm, soapy water before and after contact with eggs and egg-rich foods.
-- Avoid keeping eggs out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours, even less in a hot kitchen in the summer. Keep away from the sun.
-- Serve eggs and egg dishes that are well cooked (160°F) immediately after cooking. Egg dishes may also be refrigerated for later use. Use within 3 to 4 days.
-- Fried eggs should be cooked for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or 4 minutes in a covered pan. The yolk should begin to thicken. Scrambled eggs should be cooked until firm throughout and not "runny." Poached eggs should be cooked for 5 minutes over boiling water. Soft-cooked eggs should be cooked in the shell in boiling water for 7 minutes. Those persons at-risk should consume only hard cooked or firm eggs.
-- If there are any leftovers, divide egg dishes into shallow containers for quick cooling.
-- Recipes for Caesar salad, Hollandaise sauce, homemade mayonnaise, salad dressing and other uncooked egg-based recipes should be updated so that commercially-prepared pasteurized eggs or egg substitutes are used -- or start with a cooked base. Use a thermometer, or be sure the cooked base mixture coats a metal spoon.
For more information on the safe preparation and handling of shell eggs and egg dishes, call USDA's toll-free Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555, Monday through Friday from 10 am to 4 pm, Eastern Time. In the Washington, DC area, call 202-720-3333. In addition, timely recorded messages are available 24 hours a day using a telephone "menu" and a touch-tone phone.
For Further Information, Contact:
FSIS Food Safety Education Staff
Meat and Poultry Hotline
Phone: 1-800-535-4555 or (202) 720-3333 (voice); 1-800-256-7072 (TTY)