Myths and facts about eggs and food safety
Myth: According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), restaurants could be liable if they serve sunny-side up eggs.
Fact: According to a senior level FDA official, FDA has not provided comment on the liability of restaurants serving eggs. There is no federal law mandating how restaurants cook eggs. FDA provides recommendations to states on proper food handling, including egg handling and preparation, and the proposed egg safety label offers guidance about safe handling of eggs.
Myth: There is a new ruling about egg safety.
Fact: With egg industry support, the safe handling egg label was published by FDA on December 5, 2000. Other than that, there are no new rules on egg safety. There is currently a misunderstanding about the proposed FDA egg safety label. At a recent meeting held by USDA, not FDA, there was a discussion regarding the "current" thinking about the already proposed egg safety action plan, but there were no new egg rulings made.
Myth: People should change the way they are cooking their eggs.
Fact: Proper storage and cooking of eggs eliminates risk. If eggs are kept refrigerated, any Salmonella that may be present will not grow. When eggs are cooked properly, any Salmonella that may be present will be destroyed.
Myth: Eggs are a leading cause of foodborne illness.
Fact: According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), less than 0.5 percent of all foodborne illness is related to eggs. Based on calculations from the 1998 USDA Salmonella Risk Assessment Report, one egg per 20,000 (.005%) could be contaminated with SE. Based on USDA's statistics, the average consumer would encounter a contaminated egg only once in 84 years.
Myth: Salmonella comes only from eggs.
Fact: Up to 85% of Salmonellosis cases in the U.S. are unrelated to eggs. Salmonella comes from many sources -- both food and non-food.
Myth: By instituting a safety label on eggs, FDA is singling out eggs as a major food safety problem.
Fact: The safe handling label proposed by FDA in December 2000 is an education initiative to guide consumers about the proper cooking and handling of eggs, and labels are consistent with animal protein products found in the supermarket.
The label states "Safe Handling Instructions: To prevent illness from bacteria: keep eggs refrigerated, cook eggs until yolks are firm, and cook foods containing eggs thoroughly."
Myth: Egg-related outbreaks are increasing.
Fact: SE was identified ten years ago and quickly addressed, resulting in a steady decline in outbreaks of egg-related salmonellosis for the past eight years, to a low of 15 outbreaks in 1998 and 1999 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The incidence of illness from Salmonella Enteritidis from all sources has decreased by 48% over the past four years (1999 CDC FoodNet system for surveillance).
Contact: Lisa Jakobsberg at Aronow and Pollock Communications, Inc. 212-941-5881 or Stacey Nield at 917-754-9090 For the American Egg Board/Egg Nutrition Center
Source: American Egg Board/Egg Nutrition Center