The nation is undergoing it’s largest egg recall- a half billion eggs that were shipped to 22 states- and we need to know what we can do to avoid food poisoning from Salmonella.
How does this bacteria get into the egg in the first place?
One way is when hens eat contaminated feed. Salmonella can infect the ovaries of healthy hens and contaminate the eggs before the shells are formed.
This bacteria can also lurk on the outside of eggs when they are not properly washed. Strict procedures for cleaning and inspecting eggs were implemented in the 1970s to avoid this kind of contamination of egg shells.
Symptoms of Salmonella include fever, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting — within 12 to 72 hours after eating eggs contaminated with the bacteria. The yolk is what carries most of the bacteria.
Raw eggs are used in many everyday dishes. Read more about what you can do to avoid illness.