Egg Contamination Can Cause Food Safety Risk; Safety Practices To Follow

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Egg has always been considered as one of the best source of protein. For those looking at building muscles, daily consumption of egg is recommended.

However, a recent study has brought out some startling fact. Poor rearing practices and lack of technical know-how in Indian poultry farms may lead to contamination of eggs, according to a research.

Using contaminated feeds, unhygienic rearing practices and lack of quality control measures can easily lead to egg contamination, as per the study.

The study further suggested that it is not just the poultry farmers but traders, exporters and even consumers are unaware of the health risks of egg contamination.

It is a general practice among the developed countries to sterilize the egg surface from contamination but such practice is not there in India.

Recently, a number of eggs in the domestic market, in retail shops were collected and tested and were found to contain large amounts of salmonella both on the shell and inside the egg. However, fresh eggs collected from farms indicated less salmonella contamination.

The FSSAI has proposed standards for fresh eggs in the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Amendment Regulations, 2017. These standards will come into force once they are approved.

So listed here are a few of the safety practices to follow in order to prevent cross-contamination.

• Egg handlers must wash hands with soap and clean surfaces and utensils that have come in contact with raw eggs.
• Containers that have been used to process raw eggs must not come in contact with ready-to-eat food.
• Separate eggs in the grocery bags when shopping and in the refrigerator when storing.
• Temperature of the refrigerator must be maintained at 33 to 40o Fahrenheit.
• If eggs are left outside after refrigeration then they need to be discarded within two hours.
• Refrigerate eggs only after they have been washed.
• Eggs must be consumed within two weeks.