Eggs…worried about salmonella? Try pasteurized instead!

(I put this post “in the can” before leaving for Europe not knowing when I could post again. Watch for more from Roanne, France, in coming weeks.)

Almost every newscast for the past 10 days, or so, has had a story about the “largest egg recall” in history–over half a billion eggs. Nearly 1,400 people in 20 plus states have been confirmed ill, from salmonella poisoning.

Did you know that according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, eggs are one of the 10 riskiest foods regulated by the FDA. In fact, they are #2. If you always cook your eggs to well done, maybe you don’t need to worry about salmonella. However, if you bake brownies and love to eat the batter raw, or eat your eggs “over easy,” you may be putting yourself and your family at risk.

My mother always buys pasteurized eggs. She says, “it’s better to be “safe rather than sorry.” Unfortunately, it isn’t always easy to find pasteurized eggs in most local grocery stores. Grocers may not want to take up shelf space with unproven items. You can probably find a dozen different variety of regular eggs… different sizes, brown and white, farm fresh, cage free, no anti-biotics added or omega 3 added, Pasteurized eggs mostly come in one type…pasturized and white. One of the largest producers of pasteurized eggs is Davidson’s Safest Choice. They put a little P inside a circle on every egg, so there is no confusion about what you are eating. They do cost a little more. You need to decide if they are worth it.

The egg companies who make pasteurized eggs claim there is no difference in taste or consistency. My dad thinks the consistency is a little different and they are harder to beat into egg whites. Regardless, this may be a good time to change your eating habits by buying and eating pasteurized eggs.