Salmonella & Eggs: Risks of Eating Home-Grown Eggs

[Monique]

Is there an increased (or maybe a decreased) risk of having salmonella in home-grown eggs? The reason I ask is that I have a box of very biological eggs that were given to me, the chickens are free-range. I have the impression that industrial chickens might be more tightly monitored for salmonella infection. Would there be an increased risk if I eat the home-grown eggs soft-boiled?

 

[tribdog]

there has to be, doesn't there? I'm not saying its a huge increase, but there has to be an increased risk.

 

[wolram]

I often eat eggs from a friends chickens, and when i make a cake i eat the left over raw batter.

 

[tribdog]

and we all know how healthy you are

 

[wolram]

and we all know how healthy you are

How are the legs?

 

[Phrak]

Salmonella bacteria are found in the gastrointestinal tracts of many species of animals, birds, reptiles, and humans.

Wash them chicken droppins off the eggs, whether you see em or not.

 

[Monique]

Salmonella bacteria are found in the gastrointestinal tracts of many species of animals, birds, reptiles, and humans.

Wash the chicken droppings off the eggs, whether you see em or not.

The bacterium can also be inside the egg, infecting the yolk or white before the shell is formed.

 

[Dadface]

Why wash the chicken droppings?They are the tastiest bits.

 

[misgfool]

Is there an increased (or maybe a decreased) risk of having salmonella in home-grown eggs? The reason I ask is that I have a box of very biological eggs that were given to me, the chickens are free-range. I have the impression that industrial chickens might be more tightly monitored for salmonella infection. Would there be an increased risk if I eat the home-grown eggs soft-boiled?

I would guess that the probability to get salmonella eggs is determined by random testing the end products. If there is no such testing for uncontrolled eggs, comparing risks is fairly hard. In any case I would recommend eating eggs well prepared. Are the eggs monitored in any way? Also what is a very biological egg?

 

[Dadface]

In the late 1980s Edwina Currie,health minister claimed that Britains eggs were infected with salmonella.Result- plummeting egg sales and enraged farmers.

 

[Denton]

Surely cooking them kills the bacteria does it not?

 

[hypatia]

I don't eat raw or undercooked eggs from any source. The key temperature is 160 degrees, which can be obtained by frying for 4 to 5 minutes in a covered pan, scrambling until firm or boiling 7 minutes in the shell or 5 minutes poached.
Many home produced eggs/chickens come from cleaner and healthier environments then mass produced ones.

 

[Dadface]

I like them raw and still attached to the chicken

 

[edward]

Watch this before deciding that industrial farm eggs are safer.

 

[The Dagda]

In the late 1980s Edwina Currie,health minister claimed that Britains eggs were infected with salmonella.Result- plummeting egg sales and enraged farmers.

the most painful thing about that, assuming you weren't a poultry farmer, was the sheer number of egg jokes made by the newspapers; she certainly had egg on her face anyway.

Cook your eggs properly anyway and you have no worries.

 

[edward]

Obviously, if you want to eat your eggs raw or undercooked, free-range, organic eggs are much safer (although the risk is not zero). They also appear to be a lot more nutritious. Analysis conducted by Mother Earth News found that eggs from pasture-raised chickens contained twice the omega-3 content, three times more vitamin E, and a whopping seven times as much beta-carotene as commercially produced eggs. They also had a third less cholesterol and a fourth less saturated fat.

http://blog.nutritiondata.com/ndblog/2008/02/organic-free-ra.html

 

[mgb_phys]

she certainly had egg on her face anyway.

Although she was technically correct.

Cook your eggs properly anyway and you have no worries.

Yes funny that - "it's totally untrue there is no salmonella, but make sure you cook the eggs properly or you will die"

 

[Monique]

Watch this before deciding that industrial farm eggs are safer.

Eggs from such a source are not allowed in the Netherlands. Some producers smuggled them into cookies and other processed foods, but once awareness was raised they were forced to use eggs from a more friendly source.

I don't eat raw or undercooked eggs from any source. The key temperature is 160 degrees, which can be obtained by frying for 4 to 5 minutes in a covered pan, scrambling until firm or boiling 7 minutes in the shell or 5 minutes poached.
Many home produced eggs/chickens come from cleaner and healthier environments then mass produced ones.

I really like my eggs soft-boiled.

 

[Red Rum]

Battery hens are more likely to carry many microbes because of the high population density. This increases the risk of disease, including Salmonella. In an effort to control the risk of infection, battery hens are fed antibiotics that free range chickens rarely receive. I think this may be the reason for the opening question. In answer, organic/free range hens are less likely to be infected with salmonella and other pathogenic bacteria, so they are not routinely treated with antibiotics. So, the risk of salmonella from free range eggs is pretty low.

 

[The Dagda]

I don't think as long as your eggs are properly refrigerated and used before the sell/use by date you are at much risk from soft boiled eggs, provided they are cooked properly. I don't know for sure and can only say I've been eating them that way for years with no adverse effects.

 

[Danger]

I have a box of very biological eggs

There are non-biological eggs?

 

[misgfool]

I was reading about moisturizing ones skin (naturally from the masters = women) and there was something about a beauty mask, which had eggs. Isn't that kind of risky masking?

 

[The Dagda]

I was reading about moisturizing ones skin (naturally from the masters = women) and there was something about a beauty mask, which had eggs. Isn't that kind of risky masking?

I doubt it, you really have to eat the stuff I think. That said half the crap women plaster on their face is worthless anyway, even if it does tighten and do x miracle to skin, it's all temporary. Keeping your skin healthy is a good idea whatever creams you use, but there really is no need to pay such large amounts for some arm waving magic from Loboratoire Garnier.

 

[misgfool]

I doubt it, you really have to eat the stuff I think.

But the distance to the human nutrition input cavity is not that long.

 

[The Dagda]

But the distance to the human nutrition input cavity is not that long.

There's your answer then, don't put it in your mouth.

 

[turbo]

Battery hens are more likely to carry many microbes because of the high population density. This increases the risk of disease, including Salmonella. In an effort to control the risk of infection, battery hens are fed antibiotics that free range chickens rarely receive. I think this may be the reason for the opening question. In answer, organic/free range hens are less likely to be infected with salmonella and other pathogenic bacteria, so they are not routinely treated with antibiotics. So, the risk of salmonella from free range eggs is pretty low.

In this regard, it's a good bet that salmonella in eggs from brood-houses could be much more virulent than that in eggs from free-range chickens. Whenever you throw antibiotics at a population of microbes, you thin out the weak ones and the survivors are tougher on average, as a result.