You may love a raw egg in your protein shake, but is it safe? According to
the Centers for Disease Control, salmonella, the "raw egg" disease
that made headlines in the 1980s, is far from obsolete. Here’s what you need to
know to protect your health.
What Is Salmonella?
Salmonella is short for Salmonellaenteritidis, harmful
bacteria that infects the ovaries and intestines of hens and other animals. The
bacteria can pass into eggs as they are forming, and into humans through raw or
undercooked egg products that have been contaminated.
About 12 to 72 hours after becoming infected with salmonella, a person
develops symptoms such as a fever, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. These symptoms
may last up to a week, causing weakness and dehydration. In young children, the
elderly, and people with compromised immune systems, the infection may spread
to other parts of the body, requiring antibiotics or hospitalization. However,
most healthy people recover from salmonella without medication.
Staying Healthy
Today, most of the eggs that carry salmonella are of the disinfected, grade
A variety. The CDC estimates that for every batch of 500 eggs prepared, one in
20 carries the organism. However, the illness is easy to prevent. Here are some
pointers:
Keep eggs properly
refrigerated, which prevents salmonella from multiplying.
Thoroughly cook your eggs to
kills the bacteria. Eggs are safest when they have been cooked to a firm
consistency; an egg with a runny appearance may still contain some active
salmonella.
Avoid egg-borne salmonella by
buying pasteurized eggs. The pasteurization process also kills salmonella
organisms.
Refrigerate your eggs within
an hour of cooking them.
Wash your hands with soap and
hot water after handling raw egg products.
Don’t eat cracked or rotten
eggs.
Don’t worry: This doesn’t mean giving up your favorite raw egg products such
as eggnog and Hollandaise sauce. Just be sure they come from pasteurized eggs,
and you’ll save yourself a big hassle—and possibly a hospital trip—in the long
run.