Can you prevent salmonella contamination of chicken eggs?

In the United States, more than 206 million eggs distributed to restaurants and grocery stores in nine states have been recalled due to possible contamination Salmonella . It is estimated that about 1 in 20,000 to 1 in 10,000 eggs is contaminated with Salmonella . Salmonella itself is a bacterial germ that can cause typhus.

How do eggs get contaminated with bacteria Salmonella ?

Eggs can be contaminated with Salmonella through two processes, namely in the chicken body and outside the chicken's body itself. It is said that even a chicken that looks healthy can secretly save Salmonella in their ovaries, so that the eggs were contaminated before the shells formed.

Contamination can also occur after the egg is fertilized. This happens because chickens can carry Salmonella in their intestines and excrete bacteria in their faeces, which can contaminate the outside of the egg shell.

How to prevent contamination Salmonella ?

The following are recommendations from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, which is the equivalent of the POM in Indonesia, to prevent contamination. Salmonella on eggs:

When buying chicken eggs:

• Buy eggs only when they are sold from the refrigerator or cooler.
• Open the carton and make sure the eggs are clean and the shells are not cracked.
• Store immediately in a clean refrigerator at a minimum temperature of 4 ° Celsius. Use a refrigerator thermometer to check.
• Store eggs in their original carton and use within 3 weeks for best quality.

When processing chicken eggs:

• Cook the eggs until the yolks and whites are firm. Scrambled eggs should not be runny.
• Oven-baked eggs should be cooked to 72 ° Celsius. Use a food thermometer to be sure.
• For recipes that use raw or undercooked eggs when dishes are served such as mayonnaise and homemade ice cream, use specially processed eggs to kill bacteria. Salmonella , for example eggs with pasteurization or other methods approved by the local POM.

When serving chicken eggs:

• Serve cooked eggs (such as boiled eggs and fried eggs) or foods containing eggs (such as schotel macaroni and cakes) immediately after cooking. Cooked and steamed eggs can be refrigerated for later serving but must be reheated to at least 74 ° Celsius before serving.
• Do not leave cooked eggs or egg dishes out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours or for more than 1 hour when the temperature is above 33 ° Celsius. Disease-causing bacteria grow rapidly in warm temperatures (between 5 ° and 60 ° Celsius).
• If you want to have a dinner party, make sure foods containing eggs are still served hot.
• Store foods containing eggs in the refrigerator until it is time to serve.
• Serve cold foods containing eggs on ice if they will be out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours.