ATOL Articles

Avoiding Illness from Eggs

Written by Kelly Taylor | 11 November 2019 2:00:00 PM

Eggs are one of nature’s most nutritious and economical foods. But it’s important that you take care when handling and preparing fresh eggs and egg products.

Handle Eggs With Care

We are back at the ATOL Kitchen with Kelly, the Project Manager for our HACCP Food Safety course. In this video, we talk all about how to avoid those nasty foodborne illnesses.

Did you know, Egg shell becomes more porous when wet, making it easier for bacteria to get inside the egg. Discard dirty eggs. Never wash them.

Food safety is as important with eggs as it is with chicken, meat, seafood and dairy products. There can be health risks if eggs are not handled, stored and prepared safely. 

Some eggs may be contaminated with bacteria, which can cause serious food poisoning (diarrhoea and vomiting). Be careful with raw eggs and avoid food containing raw eggs, including homemade mayonnaise, raw cake mix and biscuit dough, and milkshakes.

Bacteria from dirt or chicken droppings on the outside of the shell can enter the egg through cracks that are sometimes too fine to see. Once inside the egg, bacteria can grow, increasing the risk of illness.

To enjoy eggs safely, buy clean, uncracked eggs that are within their ‘best before’ date, store them in the fridge in their carton and cook until hot all the way through. If you follow these basic food safety tips, you can significantly reduce the chances of you or your family becoming ill from bacteria in or on eggs. 

For more information about the week and some handy resources click here.

If you are interested in completing one of our HACCP courses and want to talk to a real person please do not hesitate to contact us! We are always happy to help!