Why do Americans wash their eggs and we don’t?

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Chicken eggs are one of the most popular foods of all time. They taste great, are healthy, cheap and can be found in a wide variety of dishes. At the same time, the danger of salmonellosis infection lurks in chicken eggs. We will tell you how you can protect yourself from this disease.

American eggs are clean, but ours are not. Why do they wash them?

Salmonellosis is an acute intestinal infection caused by Salmonella bacteria. Infection usually occurs from infected animals through food: meat and meat products, milk, eggs.

While there are many ways to get to know Salmonella, chicken eggs are the most common culprits. Therefore, it is very important to know and strictly follow a few simple rules that will save you from this trouble.

First of all, you need to know that the carrier of the infection is not eggs, but laying hens.

Their huge crowding in poultry farms, poor living conditions and poor-quality feed are the reason for the widespread spread of the disease. But even fresh eggs from a sick chicken do not contain salmonella. Bacteria can only be found on the shell, especially if you see traces of chicken droppings on it. Thus, infection most often occurs as a result of contact with the shell rather than with the contents of the egg.

In the United States of America, this problem was solved simply: since the mid-1970s, eggs in poultry farms have been washed and undergo a special disinfecting treatment. However, in fact, this can have the exact opposite effect. According to recent research, during the processing of eggs in American poultry farms, a special protective layer on the shell is violated, which nature has provided as a natural barrier for various infections.

As a result, American eggs are always very clean and beautiful, but much less protected than ours or European ones.

How can you actually protect yourself from salmonellosis?

What rules should be followed when buying, storing and preparing chicken eggs?

1. Try to buy eggs that are not produced in huge poultry farms, but in small farms.
2. When choosing an egg, make sure it is clean and free from damage to the shell.
3. Store eggs in the refrigerator on a special shelf, avoiding contact with other foods.
4. Egg storage compartments should be washed as often as possible.
5. Immediately before use (and not earlier), eggs must be thoroughly washed in warm water and soap.
6. During the cooking process, all the shells must be collected and discarded, and the objects that were in contact with it (knife, cutting board, work surface) should be washed well.
7. To wash hands!

These simple rules will help you reduce your risk of salmonellosis. But if you want to be 100% sure of your safety, then you should know that Salmonella is almost indifferent to cold, but rather sensitive to heat treatment. This means - no raw yolks, cook the eggs for at least 15–20 minutes from the moment of boiling, fry the eggs on both sides.

Do not neglect these rules, since salmonellosis is indeed a very unpleasant and common infection that anyone can meet. You should be especially careful during the hot season and during holidays, when our usual diet is disrupted.