We’d rather be safe than sorry!
Every now and then you hear about a salmonella outbreak and a ton of eggs being recalled. When that happens, you have to be extra careful about the eggs you buy and how you prepare them. But actually, the risk of being contaminated with salmonella is important to keep in mind each day, not just when there’s an outbreak. So, what should you pay attention to when it comes to cooking eggs?
These are some factors to be mindful of when you’re cooking eggs!
Salmonella
We’ve all heard about it: “Don’t eat something with raw eggs in it, because you might get salmonella!” But what does getting contaminated with this nasty bacteria actually mean? Salmonella is a bacterial infection that mostly affects your intestines but can even get in your bloodstream. If you’ve eaten something containing the bacteria, it’ll take six to 72 hours before you show symptoms, and the illness lasts between four and seven days. What are the symptoms? Diarrhea, pain in your abdomen and fever. Doesn’t sound like a fun ride, right?
What to do?
So, what can you do to make sure you don’t get infected with the bacteria? Firstly, make sure you don’t eat raw or undercooked eggs, and also be careful with the egg shells. Wash your hands after handling them. Here are some more recommendations, made by the American CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):
- Buy pasteurised eggs
- Throw away eggs with cracks in them
- Don’t eat eggs with runny yolks; cook the eggs until both the white and the yolk are firm
- Keep eggs refrigerated
- Always wash your hands after handling raw eggs; the same goes for your cutlery
- Never eat eggs or food that was made with eggs when it’s been sitting at room temperature for over 2 hours
Read more: Not sure if your eggs are still fresh? With this simple trick you’ll know in an instant!
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Source: HuffPost, USA Today | Image: video still Cooking with Jack Show