Food Safety and Egg Product Safety and Inspection Service

Information for Consumers April 2001

Eggs can be part of a healthy diet. However, they are perishable just like raw meat, poultry, and fish. To be safe, they must be properly refrigerated and cooked.

The Importance of Egg Safety Taking Steps at Home

Unbroken fresh shell may contain Proper refrigeration, , and handling certain bacteria that can cause foodborne should prevent most egg safety problems. illness. The bacteria are Persons can enjoy eggs and dishes Enteritidis (SE). While the number of eggs containing eggs if these safe handling affected is quite small, there have been guidelines are followed. some scattered outbreaks. Currently the government, the egg industry, and the 1. Don't Eat Raw Eggs scientific community are working together to solve the problem. This includes "health-food" milk shakes with raw eggs, Caesar salad, , What Part Carries Bacteria? and any other foods like homemade , ice cream, or made Researchers say that if present, the SE are from recipes in which the raw egg usually in the or "yellow." But they can't ingredients are not cooked. rule out the bacteria being in egg whites. So 2. Buy Clean Eggs everyone is advised against eating raw or undercooked egg , whites, or products containing them. At the store, choose Grade A or AA eggs with clean, uncracked shells. Make sure they've been refrigerated in the store. Any Who Should Be Extra Careful? bacteria present in an egg can multiply quickly at room temperature. People with health problems, the very young, senior citizens, and pregnant women Don't wash eggs. At the plant, government (the risk is to the unborn child) are regulations require that USDA-graded eggs particularly vulnerable to SE infections. A be carefully washed and sanitized using chronic illness weakens the immune special detergent. Then the eggs are coated system, making the person vulnerable to with a tasteless, natural mineral oil to foodborne illnesses. protect them. 3. Refrigerate Eggs refrigerate at once for later use. Use within 3 to 4 days. Take eggs straight home and store them immediately in the refrigerator set at 40 °F 7. Cook Eggs or slightly below. Store them in the grocery carton in the coldest part of the refrigerator Many cooking methods can be used to cook and not in the door. eggs safely including , hard cooking, scrambling, frying, and . 4. Use Eggs Within Recommended However, eggs must be cooked thoroughly Times until yolks are firm. should not be runny. Casseroles and other dishes Use raw shell eggs within 3 to 5 weeks. containing eggs should be cooked to Hard-cooked eggs will keep refrigerated for 160 °F as measured with a food 1 week. Use leftover yolks and whites within thermometer. 4 days. 8. Use Safe Egg Recipes If eggs crack on the way home from the store, break them into a clean container, Egg mixtures are safe if they reach 160 °F, cover it tightly, and keep refrigerated for use so homemade ice cream and eggnog can within 2 days. be made safely from a cooked base. Heat the egg-milk mixture gently. Use a food 5. Freeze Eggs for Longer Storage thermometer to check the temperature or use a metal spoon (the mixture should coat Eggs should not be frozen in their shells. To the spoon). If in-shell pasteurized eggs are freeze whole eggs, beat yolks and whites available, they can be used safely in recipes together. Egg whites can be frozen by that won’t be cooked. themselves. Use frozen eggs within a year. Dry shells are safe. So are divinity If eggs freeze accidentally in their shells, candy and 7-minute frosting, made by keep them frozen until needed. Defrost combining hot sugar syrup with beaten egg them in the refrigerator. Discard any with whites. cracked shells. Meringue-topped pies should be safe if 6. Handle Eggs Safely baked at 350 °F for about 15 minutes. Chiffon pies and fruit whips made with raw, Wash hands, utensils, equipment, and work beaten egg whites cannot be guaranteed areas with warm, soapy water before and safe. Substitute whipped cream or whipped after contact with eggs and dishes topping. containing eggs. To make key lime pie safely, heat the lime Don't keep eggs -- including Easter eggs -- (or lemon) juice with the raw egg yolks in a out of the refrigerator more than 2 hours. pan on the stove, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 160 °F. Then combine Serve cooked eggs and dishes containing it with the sweetened condensed milk and eggs immediately after cooking, or place in pour it into a baked pie crust. shallow containers for quick cooling and

2 Cook egg dishes such as quiche and What Are Some Buying Tips? casseroles to 160 °F as measured with a food thermometer. · Containers should be tightly sealed. · Frozen products should show no sign of Egg Product Safety thawing. · Purchase refrigerated products kept at The term "egg products" refers to eggs that 40 °F or below. have been removed from their shells for · Avoid hardened dried egg products. processing. Basic egg products include whole eggs, whites, yolks, and various Storage Times for Egg Products blends, with or without non-egg ingredients, that are processed and pasteurized. They · Frozen egg products - 1 year may be available in liquid, frozen, and dried · If the container for liquid products bears forms. a "Use-By" date, observe it. · For liquid products without an expiration Are Egg Products Pasteurized? date, store unopened cartons at 40 °F or below for up to 7 days (not over 3 days Yes. The 1970 Egg Products Inspection Act after opening). requires that all egg products distributed for · Don't freeze opened cartons or refreeze consumption be pasteurized. They are frozen cartons that have been thawed. rapidly heated and held at a minimum · Unopened dried egg products can be required temperature for a specified time. stored at room temperature as long as This destroys Salmonella but it does not they are kept cool and dry. After cook the eggs or affect their color, flavor, opening, keep refrigerated. nutritional value, or use. Dried whites are · Use reconstituted products immediately pasteurized by heating in the dried form. or refrigerate and use that day.

Can Egg Products Be Used in Uncooked Other Egg-type Items Foods? Certain egg-type items are not presently Egg products can be used in baking or considered egg products. These items, cooking (scrambled eggs, for example). which are under the Food and Drug They have been pasteurized, but are best Administration (FDA) jurisdiction, include used in a cooked product. Consumers freeze-dried products, imitation egg should be sure that the internal temperature products, and egg substitutes. Inspected, of the cooked dish reaches 160 °F. Egg pasteurized egg products are used to make products can be substituted in recipes these items. typically made with raw eggs that won't be cooked to 160 °F, such as Caesar salad No-cholesterol egg substitutes consist of and homemade mayonnaise. Although egg whites, artificial color, and other non- pasteurized, for optimal safety, it is best to egg additives. Direct questions about egg start with a cooked base, especially if substitutes to the manufacturer or to the serving high-risk persons: people with FDA. health problems, the very young, the elderly, and pregnant women.

3 USDA Dried Egg Mix For further information, contact:

USDA dried egg mix is a dried blend of USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline: whole eggs, nonfat dry milk, soybean oil, and a small amount of salt. (This is a 1-800-535-4555 (Toll-free Nationwide) government commodity product, not usually available commercially.) To reconstitute, 1-800-256-7072 (TTY) blend 1/4 cup with 1/4 cup water to make one "egg." The reconstituted mix requires cooking.

· Store USDA Dried Egg Mix below 50 °F, FSIS Web site: www.fsis.usda.gov preferably refrigerated. After opening, use within 7 to 10 days. · Use reconstituted egg mix immediately or refrigerate; use within 1 hour. FDA Food Information Line:

1-888-SAFEFOOD (Toll-free Nationwide)

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