Safer Eggs: The Importance of Eggs

by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

The egg — long noted for its high-quality protein and versatility in cooking — is getting a beating like no other.

At stake is its image as a safe and nutritious food.

In recent years, the egg has gained notoriety as a carrier of dangerous disease-causing Salmonella bacteria and as a food laden with artery-clogging cholesterol. Many of its best features — like ease of use, good taste, functionality, and low cost — have been lost in the stir.

But various groups, including the Food and Drug Administration and other government agencies, industry members, and nutrition educators, are fighting back. They are seeking to improve the safety of egg production and distribution through regulation and recommendations. They are educating people on the hazards of eating raw and undercooked eggs, urging them to adopt safe egg-handling practices and reminding them of the egg's importance in a healthful diet.

Cracking Down

Because eggs go through many channels and are handled in many ways before reaching someone's plate, FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced in May 1998 that they would seek to identify "farm-to-table actions" to decrease the food safety risks associated with shell eggs. The agencies said they would consider regulations or guidance to cover egg handling on the farm, in transit, and at the retail level and asked for public comment on such topics as:

• federal quality assurance standards for egg production
• feasibility of large-scale use of an in-shell pasteurization process, a relatively new technology
• incentives to encourage egg refrigeration before transit
• the federal government's role in regulating restaurants and retail stores. Currently, federal agencies provide guidance, such as FDA's model Food Code, a reference for retail outlets on how to prepare food to prevent food-borne illness. FDA encourages states to adopt the Food Code as law.

In the May 19, 1998, advance notice of proposed rulemaking, FDA and FSIS announced that they would propose regulations to improve the safety of eggs. The FSIS proposal would require eggs packed for consumer use to be refrigerated during distribution at a temperature not to exceed 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius) and to include a label on packages that refrigeration is needed.

FDA's proposals would require:

Retail food stores and food service establishments to hold shell eggs at a refrigeration temperature of 45 F (7 C)

Safe handling instructions on the package labels of shell eggs that have not been treated to kill Salmonella. The instructions might say, for example, that raw eggs may contain harmful bacteria known to cause serious illness, especially in children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. Consumers should be advised to keep eggs refrigerated and cook them thoroughly before eating.

Stopping the Outbreaks

While poultry, meat, fresh produce, and other raw foods also can be carriers of Salmonella enteritidis (SE), shell eggs lead the list. According to a study in the 1994 Journal of Infectious Diseases, 82 percent of SE outbreaks between 1985 and 1991 in which the vehicle for transmission was known were traced to contaminated shell eggs.

As many as 1 in 20,000 eggs, or about 2.7 million eggs annually in the United States, contains the bacteria, according to USDA. Contamination occurs as the egg develops in the oviduct — the canal through which the egg travels — of an SE-infected chicken or from chicken fecal matter coming into contact with an egg.

FDA and FSIS' pending proposals and any other possible action they may take will help unify or supplement efforts already under way to prevent the spread of SE in eggs. For example, 38 states now require refrigeration of eggs at the retail level. And a number of states, including Ohio, California, Pennsylvania, and Maine and other Northeastern states, along with the United Egg Producers, an egg producers' cooperative, have established voluntary quality assurance programs for egg producers. Participants agree to follow certain practices, which may include,

• cleaning and disinfecting hen houses between flocks
• adopting strict rodent control measures
• washing eggs properly
• refrigerating eggs between transport and storage
• putting in place biosecurity measures
• monitoring mortality of chickens
• using SE-free chicks and pullets.

Also, the U.S. Animal Health Association, a professional association of veterinarians, has developed SE reduction guidelines for egg producers.

The Importance of Eggs

There are plenty of reasons to go to these lengths. A chief one is that eggs are one of the cheapest yet most nutritious foods around. For about 10 cents, an egg provides 6 grams of protein and substantial amounts of several important vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A and B12, folate, thiamin, riboflavin, phosphorus, and zinc. The protein is of the highest quality, higher even than that of milk, meat and fish.

"Eggs are the gold standard of protein," says Liz Ward, a registered dietitian with the Harvard Vanguard Medical Association in Boston and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

Like meat, fish, milk, and other complete proteins, eggs provide all the essential amino acids needed to support life and growth.

Eggs also have several physical and chemical properties important in cooking and baking. Eggs thicken custards, puddings and sauces. They stabilize mayonnaise and salad dressings. They're often used to coat or glaze breads and cookies. They bind ingredients in foods like meatloaf and lasagna, clarify soups, prevent crystallization in boiled candies and frostings, and serve as leavening agents, helping foods like souffles and sponge cakes to rise.

"There are a lot of things you can't make without eggs," says Betsy Crosby, a home economist with USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service.

Eggs also are easy to use. Because they can be cooked alone or, in many cases, with other foods relatively quickly, they are a convenient, nutritious food for people on the go and those unable to do much cooking. And, unlike other animal foods, they can keep in the refrigerator for three to five weeks.

Also, because eggs are soft and easy to chew, they are a good substitute for meat and other hard-to-chew protein-rich foods for anyone who has difficulty chewing.

However, because of an egg's cholesterol content — 215 milligrams all contained in the yolk — the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends using egg yolks "in moderation." Egg whites contain no cholesterol (but all the protein) and can be used freely.

About the Author

www.fda.gov
FDA is A United States government body that oversees medical devices, including contact lenses, intraocular lenses, excimer lasers and eyedrops. In the US, these products must be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed.