Why are Americans such Germ-a-Phobics?
Eggs are a breakfast favorite for many of us. We love them hard boiled, scrambled, over easy, or in an omelet. Many Americans would never think of purchasing them anywhere but a supermarket where they have been scrubbed and cleaned, but is this best?
If you lived in other countries you may not find them refrigerated. In Britain you would find them right alongside nonperishable foods, not along side butter or cheese. Europe does not wash or refrigerate their eggs. What? Salmonella contamination? The difference is in thinking about the way that eggs are processed and farmed in the UK as compared to the United States. In the United States it is believed to reduce the risk of salmonella infection, eggs are washed and then sprayed with a chemical to sanitize them before they are sold. These clean sanitized eggs are them kept cold to prevent the eggs from rotting and to keep bacterial growth in check.
The UK takes a totally different approach to prevent bacterial infection mainly salmonella. The eggs are not washed and are not chilled. The priority in the egg production is to produce clean eggs when you collect them rather than trying to clean them after they are collected. They believe in “good management of the poultry house and great hygiene.” says food safety officials in Ireland. US eggs cannot legally be sold in Europe and European eggs cannot be sold in the US.
Let’s look at how eggs are produced in America. Large laying houses are preferred over free-range systems which are common place in the UK. It is more like a factory than a farm environment. The hens are packed tightly into barns and because they only have a very small area to move around in it makes the eggs more susceptible to salmonella contamination, even if the sanitary practices are somewhat good, the bacteria can easily be passed from one infected hen to the inside of an egg as it is forming and it can also get on the outside of the shell after the egg is laid by coming if contact with the hens feces. To try to reduce the risk of infection, the eggs are moved directly from the hen house to a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt takes the eggs through a wash and then they are sprayed with a chemical. If the eggs are not washed properly, the chances of bacteria seeping into the shell from the feces actually increases.
According to the United Egg Producers association after an egg is refrigerated it must be kept at that temperature because a cold egg left out at room temperature can sweat causing the growth of bacteria that could contaminate an egg. They say that refrigerated eggs should not be left out more than 2 hours and is recommended that consumers keep the eggs at a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
In Europe it is against the law to wash eggs because it is believed that it will damage the cuticle, which is the outside layer of the egg, making it easier for bacteria to get inside the egg. Another reason this is not practiced in the UK is because salmonella is not as big of a health concern because the farmers began to vaccinate their hens in 1997 after people were sickened by the bacteria. This vaccination has been linked to the rapid decline of salmonella cases in the UK.
In the United State the FDA does not require the vaccination because they felt that there was not enough evident enough to prove that the vaccine would not prevent people from getting sick and felt it would be too expensive. Instead they try to control it through testing and refrigeration standards. Have you ever been in a hen house in the United States? I have and it is disgusting. The stench is awful.
Europes goal is to prevent dirty eggs from being produced in their first place which makes great sense to me. Putting thousands of chickens cage free is just not a good idea, think of the feces and the smell. I think the more natural the better. The way that eggs are produced in the United States can make it very dangerous for consumers. When the cuticle is removed from the egg, it seems to remove it’s natural protection. What does that chemical that they spray on do not only to the egg but to our bodies as well. I know that if I eat commercially grown eggs I am sick to my stomach but when I eat eggs from free range chickens I have no stomach issues. Salmonella is by the way food poisoning.
How do you check if your eggs from a farmer are good? I have been told to put them in water and if they float don’t eat them. I have followed that rule that the farmer told me and haven’t got sick yet. Just remember if an unwashed egg goes in the refrigerator, keep it there until you are ready to use it. Stay informed about your food and make good choices, the only one that can truly take care of you is you.
