egg safety

Beekissed said:

Commercially produced eggs are disinfected in an egg wash and the surface of the egg has not been identified as the carrier of the salmonella as the cause for the egg recalls. The salmonella contamination is from systemic infections in the layer birds, involving many organs, including the uterus/ovary/oviduct.

In other words, the salmonella is inside the eggs, not outside. )

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Well kiss my grits. Ya learn something new every day. Thanks for correcting this misconception.

k15n1 said:

Found an interesting (but biased) article about salmonella within eggs. Apparently there's a 1-in-20,000 chance that a chicken will carry the bacteria in its reproductive system. The eggs end up getting infected with just a few bacteria before the shell forms.

http://news.discovery.com/human/health/egg-salmonella-bacteria.htm

I wonder if the confined-feeding is the issue or if it's just a low-probability event that you probably won't see if you keep 6 hens.

Anyhow, it's nice to have open-minded discussion on the topic rather than fear and criticism that I've experienced in the past.

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An estimated 142,000 Americans are infected each year with Salmonella Enteritidis from chicken eggs, and about 30 die.[31] Beleive it or not I have tried to lay low on this subject I once worked in a vaccine factory Bacteria are easy to grow compared to virus All the flu vaccines have been produced in eggs and the USDA has been searching for years for a clean source of eggs for flu vaccine [past practice was to introduse the virus into all eggs and throw out those that were infeccted with Salmonella] They gave up the search, never found a clean source of eggs. The new Vaccine [Comming Soon] will be based on insects.~gd

Is the issue that most eggs are contaminated with some bacteria or that even an occasional infected egg was a problem?

I found this link on how to pasteurize eggs at home, which reduces the risk of salmonella poisoning

http://www.ehow.com/how_10021976_homepasteurize-eggs.html

USDA has been searching for years for a clean source of eggs for flu vaccine [past practice was to introduse the virus into all eggs and throw out those that were infeccted with Salmonella] They gave up the search, never found a clean source of eggs. The new Vaccine [Comming Soon] will be based on insects.~gd

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Somehow, I'm doubting the USDA searched for clean eggs in a true, country backyard setting. Not USDA approved living conditions in the first place, so I'm much doubting their "years of searching" delved into that resource. Would be very interesting if they did...

Beekissed said:

USDA has been searching for years for a clean source of eggs for flu vaccine [past practice was to introduse the virus into all eggs and throw out those that were infeccted with Salmonella] They gave up the search, never found a clean source of eggs. The new Vaccine [Comming Soon] will be based on insects.~gd

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Somehow, I'm doubting the USDA searched for clean eggs in a true, country backyard setting. Not USDA approved living conditions in the first place, so I'm much doubting their "years of searching" delved into that resource. Would be very interesting if they did...

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For a vaccine factory, I'm sure they were getting eggs from an egg factory. I'm guessing they need thousands per day while in production. So it doesn't address the assumed advantages of home-grown chickens and their eggs. But it does tell me something about the prevalence of bacterial contamination in commercial eggs.

Ok no science just common sense. Keep your gals healthy and they will give you healthy food. I don't worry at all and yes i do consume raw egg all the time. I am ok with it. Never get sick, none of my kids have been sick from our eggs. Mine are not washed until its time to use them. Then they are washed and used. I do this to keep the bloom on the egg because that is the eggs protection from bacteria.

I think the stresses of modern production are a bigger worry. I have been made sick several times from bacteria laden beef, pork and poultry from the grocery. I now only eat meat directly bought from my trusted butcher. From the field, to them, to me. Nothing in between. Soon it will be From my field, to the butcher and then back to me. I have not once ever been made sick of anything we grew or raised ourselves. Think about it. Who cares more about how those chickens were raised? what they were fed? Their illnesses? You do! because they are providing for your family. Production facilities just care about numbers. Not lack of shiny feather, lethargic hens, bloody poo or any other issues. When the hen is dead it is tossed and they keep moving forward. How can you get something healthy and safe that way? How can that not be a breeding ground for bacteria?

The only time any of mygot sick from poultry was when we were out of town and went to a petting zoo and of course the kids had to play with the chickens. My daughter ended up with some sort of bacteria that had to be reported to the cdc. By the time they contacted me to confirm I had already done a probiotic flush and had her drink some water with ACV every day. It took 2 days and her system was already on the mend and a week later the doctor cleared her. A few days after that I had someone from the health department call and ask where we had been ect. The kids know to be more careful now.

So what's the correct way to wash an egg?

We have been rinsing in water just slightly warmer than room temperature, and obviously picking, scraping off any obvious dirt or debris. We don't use any soap or chemicals, just plain ol' water. Is that right?

I don't wash my visually clean eggs. I just use a damp rag to gently wipe off smudges. Those with more than a smudge or smear get fed to the pooch..it's a special treat for him.

Usually they are clean and do not need wiping.

That's what I do with mine. I use a damp cloth to remove any light spots. The dogs also get any older eggs when I have to many.