Tag Archives: Eggs

I buy my eggs at a new-age store so they’re safe; Barry’s got my back

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One of the few pleasures in watching the movie, Baby Mama, is Steve Martin’s turn as Barry, the narcissistic, new-age genius who runs a Whole Foods-like organic supermarket chain, seen here transferring his success to v.p. and mama-to-be Tina Fey.

Stores like Whole Foods are easy to poke fun at because of their earnest idiocracy. But when a lifestyle choice crosses into public health outcomes, I stop snickering.

A buyer for one of these new-age stores sent the following to a supplier:

“I’m still not too crazy about pasteurized just as I’m not too crazy about ultra pasteurized dairy products in general. All one has to do is look at movement in our region regarding raw products, raw milk, and one quickly learns that our customers are for the less processed the better. In my 25+ years in the grocery business I don’t recall ever having eggs returned to the stores because they were bad. I haven’t refrigerated an egg in over 20 years myself personally, so although "salmonella" is currently getting a lot of press I’m not convinced that it really applies to eggs. When I worked at (another store) for nearly 13 years, we didn’t have one incident that I was aware of regarding "bad eggs," and we NEVER refrigerated them until the law passed making refrigeration mandatory. We must have sold a billion eggs in those 13 years.”

I wouldn’t want this guy purchasing eggs for me, and not just because of his annoying use of air quotes – what Jon Stewart calls dick fingers. Salmonella is getting more than a lot of press; it makes a lot of people barf. And eggs are a source.
 

Dr. Dean Cliver: Eggs deluxe

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Dr. Dean Cliver writes in this satirical contribution that:

My supermarket charges a 34% premium for "cage-free" eggs, compared to conventional eggs of the same brand, size, and grade.  Cage-free eggs, with additional features, get as much as a 124% surcharge.  Some say that eggs from cage-free chickens have more flavor because the chickens eat bugs; it would probably be cheaper to raise insects and feed them to layers in conventional cages, although the chicken would be denied the thrill of the chase. 

I suspect that most people who pay extra for cage-free eggs would not be able to detect the difference in taste, which suggests that flavor is not what they are really paying for.  More likely, the premium is paid out of respect for the hens’ freer lifestyle.  If respect for chickens adds value to their eggs, there are certainly further commercial possibilities based on enhancing the life of the chicken.

I suggest that, if laying hens are to be treated with the dignity they deserve, premium egg ranches give every chicken her own name.  As each egg was produced, its shell would be imprinted with the donor’s name.  In the interest of marketing eggs as fresh as possible, no two eggs in a one-dozen carton would bear the same name; the names might also be embellished with colors and distinctive logos. 

Hens typically proclaim their egg production with the characteristic, triumphant cackle — it should be possible to build this into each egg carton (as is now done in greeting cards and other devices), so that the purchaser would hear it each time the carton was opened.  Value might be further enhanced by adding some scratch-and-sniff barnyard aroma (bacteria-free, of course), to give the consumer an even greater feeling of being close to Nature.

How much value would be added by these measures could be determined by market research.  If the prognosis was sufficiently favorable, there should be little difficulty capitalizing the required egg ranch and processing facility.  Hens that "graduated" from such a ranch might also have added gastronomic value, or they might simply be enrolled in an alumnae association for life.

Dr. Cliver officially retired October 1, 2007 and is winding down from 46 years in academia, battling infectious agents in food and water.  His research career has led him to see the world as if peering outward through the anal orifice: this "reverse proctoscopy" confers a unique viewpoint.
 

New iFSN Food Safety Infosheet: Raw egg dish linked to 18 Salmonella illnesses

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Raw egg dishes have been linked to numerous Salmonella outbreaks (check out CSPI’s outbreak database for a list of egg-related outbreaks since 1990).

Today’s infosheet  focuses on a couple of recent outbreaks where raw egg dishes were implicated on Guernsey Island and in Australia.  Raw egg dishes including Caesar salad dressing, Hollandaise, mayonnaise, mousses, icings and homemade ice cream have been linked to Salmonella outbreaks.

Click here to download the infosheet.

Infosheets are created weekly by iFSN and are posted in restaurants, retail stores, on farms and used in training throughout the world. If you have any infosheet topic requests, or photos, please contact Ben Chapman at bchapman@uoguelph.ca

Australian eggs strike Spielberg series with Salmonella?

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Public health authorities are investigating after cast and crew on Steven Spielberg’s The Pacific mini-series were struck down by salmonella poisoning while filming in Victoria.

Five people were taken to hospital and one had to be admitted after becoming violently ill at the You Yangs site.

A further 25 people are believed to have suffered severe gastro symptoms after enjoying a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs.

OK, I’m sorry, really sorry

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Venus cafe owner Maree Little cried yesterday as she spoke of the devastation of knowing food prepared at her Hobart, Tasmania, eatery had made at least 79 people seriously ill, including mourners at funerals which her business had catered for.

She too became ill after eating food from the cafe, which had been made unknowingly with contaminated eggs.

The Tasmania Mercury reports that Little felt compassion for all those who had been sick, including her five-year-old granddaughter and five Venus staff who were all hospitalized, adding

"I want to sincerely apologise to all of our loyal customers, staff and other members of the community who’ve fallen ill as a result of eating food from Venus café. We profoundly regret that our business has been associated with this salmonella outbreak and we feel for everyone who has been admitted to hospital, or become sick as a result of eating at our cafe. It has devastated me and the staff as well. Our heart certainly goes out to those (sick) people because we know what they are going through."

The apology came after the Mercury revealed a 66-year-old Hobart man was struck down with salmonella after lunching at Venus and spent the past 12 days in hospital.

The hospitalised man was finally able to go home yesterday and said he was grateful that Venus had apologized.

The Health Department has confirmed the outbreak at Venus was caused by an aioli salad dressing and dipping sauce which was made from raw eggs.

The contaminated food was served in the cafe on January 24-25 and at several catered functions including funerals at Millingtons in Mornington.

Ms Little had to ruin her nice apology by saying it was unfortunate that her business had unknowingly used contaminated eggs provided by an external egg supplier, and that her business, which she had run for 16 months, would not use raw egg in any product ever again, and that,

"Our business is as much a victim as those people who have fallen ill as a result of eating contaminated food. The harm to our business and reputation is devastating, but the most important thing is the health of our customers, staff and loved ones and we sincerely hope they are able to make a full recovery as soon as possible."

Don’t eat raw eggs. Don’t eat poop.

Tasmania Salmonella outbreak: Just say sorry, says victim

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A 66-year-old Hobart man who has been hospitalised for almost a fortnight — and remains in hospital — with salmonella has told of his horror and called for a public apology from the Venus cafe at Rosny Park that served him infected food.

The Tasmania Mercury reports that the man said there had been at least nine other patients suffering from salmonella in recent days and many blamed food from Venus.

They are among 75 Tasmanians who have reported having gastro symptoms after eating contaminated food last month. Most of those were infected after eating at funerals at Millingtons in Mornington, which has food supplied by a local catering company.

The man had lunch at Venus with his wife where he ate a prawn and asparagus baguette with aioli dressing before being sick.

The man said he wanted Venus to be held accountable.

"Their business was reopened within a couple of days and everything was forgotten, but we’re all still sick. It makes me really angry. I just want an open apology."

Director of Public Health Roscoe Taylor said tartare sauce containing raw egg had been confirmed as one cause but would not confirm if Venus was responsible, saying the department did not name businesses in outbreaks, adding,

"I can understand that people would want to seek retribution but our business is not the blame game, our interest is to protect the public."

But if food service is knowingly serving raw egg-based dishes to lots of people, including those at funerals in Hobart, where is the public protection?

Is it safe to use raw eggs to make homemade egg nog?

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With snow creating blizzard conditions and the Interstate closed, Manhattanites may be tempted to stay at home and curl up with some festive egg nog.

And every year, the same question comes up: is it safe to use raw eggs to make homemade egg nog?

Sort of?

Egg nog is a festive beverage generally prepared during the holiday season for family and holiday celebrations.  According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it is a drink in which the white and yolk of eggs are stirred up with hot beer, wine, or spirits.  A number of recipes can be found on the Internet, including http://www.eggnogrecipe.net/.

Egg nog is traditionally prepared with raw egg yolks and whites.  In the 1998 Salmonella Enteritidis Risk Assessment for Shell Eggs and Egg Products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that 1-in-20,000 shell eggs is contaminated with Salmonella.

The folks at the Egg Safety Center estimate that the odds of any one person in the US getting sick from SE in eggs is 1 in 2,240 or 0.045% each year. Unless egg nog is your primary, year-round source of eggs, the risk estimate for the seasonal beverage would be smaller.

Many egg nog recipes call for alcohol whether it be beer, wine, or spirits, and many believe that the alcohol in the drink kills harmful bacteria, including salmonella. The Extension Service at the University of Minnesota says there is no scientific data to supports this claim. “Alcohol inhibits bacterial growth but cannot be relied upon to kill bacteria.” Consequently, adding more alcohol to a recipe may increase its potency, but it will not ensure the destruction of all bacteria.

Pasteurized eggs or store-bought egg nog are microbiologically safer alternatives.

Me? Too much fat in egg nog.

Here are three recipes from Sunday’s N.Y. Times.

1958: Eggnog
This recipe appeared in The Times in an article by Craig Claiborne.
As Freeman pointed out, “It’s important to get good farm-fresh eggs, with really orange yolks and really thick cream; these are the main constituents of the drink.” Halve the recipe for a smaller gathering.
12 eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup bourbon
1 cup Cognac
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 pints heavy cream
Grated nutmeg
1 to 2 cups milk (optional)
1. In an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until thick.
2. Slowly add the bourbon and Cognac while beating at slow speed. Chill for several hours.
3. Add the salt to the egg whites. Beat until almost stiff.
4. Whip the cream until stiff.
5. Fold the whipped cream into the yolk mixture, then fold in the beaten egg whites. Chill 1 hour.
6. When ready to serve, sprinkle the top with freshly grated nutmeg. Serve in punch cups with a spoon.
7. If desired, add 1 to 2 cups of milk to the yolk mixture for a thinner eggnog. Makes about 40 punch-cup servings.
——
2007: Roquefort-and-Pear Eggnog
By Eben Freeman, the head bartender at Tailor in SoHo.
3 ounces Roquefort cheese, crumbled
1 1/2+cups heavy cream
4 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup poire William, or other pear brandy
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
1. One to two days before making the eggnog, combine the cheese and cream in a container and refrigerate for 36 to 48 hours.
2. In a mixer fitted with a whisk, combine the egg yolks, sugar and poire William. Beat until pale yellow and emulsified. Chill for 2 hours. Line a sieve with cheesecloth, and strain the cream-and-cheese mixture.
3. Whip the cream to stiff peaks, then fold into the egg-yolk mixture. Beat the egg whites until fluffy, then add the salt and continue beating to stiff peaks. Fold into the cream mixture. Chill for 1 hour. Serve in small cups with a spoon. Serves 10.
——
2007: Cedar-Scented Eggnog
By Eben Freeman, head bartender at Tailor in SoHo.
1 cedar plank or 1 sheet of cedar paper, for wrapping food
1/4 cup bourbon
4 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Cognac
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Pinch salt.
1. Two days before making the eggnog, infuse the bourbon. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a vegetable peeler, shave strips of cedar from the cedar plank until you have 1/4 cup of shavings (if using cedar paper, break it into pieces). Spread the shavings on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until toasted, about 20 minutes. Let cool, then combine with the bourbon, cover and let sit for 48 hours.
2. Strain the bourbon through a jelly bag or a tea towel. In a mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy, then with the mixer on low, slowly add the bourbon and the Cognac. Chill for 2 hours.
3. Whip the cream to stiff peaks and fold into the yolk mixture. Beat the egg whites and salt to stiff peaks and fold into the same mixture. Chill for 1 hour. Serve in small cups, with a spoon. Serves 10.

Salmonella in Sweden: no “shit sample from the flock”

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Sweden’s English language newspaper, The Local, reported today that 12 people in the Gävle region have contracted salmonella poisoning after eating infected eggs imported from Poland.

The story explains that as salmonella is common in Poland, a special certificate is needed when importing eggs to Sweden to prove that a particular batch is not infected with the bacteria.

Food administration inspector Pontus Elvingsson said tests are generally carried that include "shit samples from the flock."

Certificates obtained by wholesalers at Årstahallarna in Stockholm contained information that was false.

The administration believes that those infected in the eastern town may have fallen ill after eating mayonnaise made with the Polish eggs.

The National Food Administration (Livsmedelverket) said that eggs from the same batch have also been sold in Sollentuna, Botkyrka and Stockholm.

Food safety and food quality are different: Fancy food doesn’t mean safe food

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Joel Rubin of the Los Angeles Times describes in gut-wrenching glory his recent adventures with Salmonella, and how his initial suspicions of sushi proved wrong: instead it was the Hollandaise sauce at BLD, a trendy L.A. eatery.

Rubin describes how in Los Angeles County,

a small army of inspectors, doctors, specialized nurses and epidemiologists in the Department of Public Health watch over our 38,000 restaurants, markets and bakeries, hoping to catch problems with cleanliness and food handling before a meal gets contaminated.

When two or more people get sick from the same food — an outbreak — these are the experts who try to figure out where and when and how things went sideways. It happens 40 or so times a year in the county, sometimes at restaurants you would never expect.

Rubin provides excellent detail of the epidemiological process that eventually found over 20 sick customers linked to BLD. In the end, at least 40 people are suspected to have been sickened from the Hollandaise sauce at BLD that Sunday, making it one of the largest outbreaks of food-borne illness in Los Angeles this year.

Owner Neal Fraser, "who has a reputation for using only fresh, natural ingredients, made a traditional sauce," meaning raw eggs.

Rubin then goes back to the source  — Chino Valley Ranchers — one of the country’s largest producers of organic eggs. It owns more than a million birds, all roaming around in cage-free houses. In the days before I got sick, 45 dozen of their medium-size, AA-grade eggs, laid by hens raised on organic feed, had been delivered to BLD.

When Rubin visited, he found an impressive-looking operation where chicks are vaccinated, hens screened for infection and eggs put through a mind-bogglingly thorough washing and quality-control process.

Salmonella happens. At fancy restaurants, at local dives, and everywhere in between. Take steps to reduce the risk, in this case using pasteurized eggs.