Dairy and eggs are good sources of protein and can be great additions to a healthful balanced diet. Following food safety practices for these foods can help to prevent infection by foodborne illness that can be present in dairy, eggs, and egg products. Keeping dairy and eggs in the refrigerator at or below 41° F can help to prevent bacteria from growing. Additionally, choose dairy products that have been pasteurized, keeping in mind that the printed “use-by” dates provided on the packaging are for best quality since they have been pasteurized for food safety.
Pasteurization and Why it Matters
Pasteurization is the heating of a product to a specific temperature for a set amount of time to kill harmful pathogens such as bacteria. There are different types of pasteurization that include high temperatures for short times and lower temperatures for longer periods of time to kill any existing pathogens. Pasteurization of milk has been used since its creation in 1864 to kill pathogens that can cause dangerous illnesses including: Listeriosis, Typhoid Fever, Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Q Fever and Brucellosis.
Pasteurization of milk, other dairy products, and eggs do not have any significant negative impact on the nutrition quality of these foods. Additional benefits of this process include the improvement in the shelf-life of these products due to the reduction in the pathogens they may contain.
Risks of Raw Milk
Raw milk is any unpasteurized milk that comes from cows, sheep, goats, or any other animal that produces milk. Raw milk can carry dangerous bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, and Brucella. These bacteria can cause food borne illness when consumed.
Consuming raw milk is even more dangerous for people with immune systems that are weakened due to medical reasons such as: transplants, cancer, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS. There are also increased risks for children, older adults, and pregnant women who choose to consume raw milk.
In North Carolina there are restriction on selling raw milk for human consumption and if sold must be labeled “not for human consumption.”
Safe Egg Purchasing
Consuming raw eggs can increase your risk of consuming harmful bacteria that can cause food- borne illness (food poisoning).
One way to minimize risk is to purchase pasteurized eggs. This can help to minimize the risk of consuming harmful bacteria such as Salmonella. This is why consuming foods that contain raw eggs is risky. Heating or cooking food that contains raw eggs can help to ensure any harmful bacteria has been killed before consumption.
When purchasing eggs, be sure to open the carton to check that none are cracked before heading to checkout for purchase.
Pasteurizing eggs is not the industry standard in the U.S. so they may be more difficult to find. If searching for pasteurized eggs do not assume the eggs are pasteurized unless it is stated on the carton. When pasteurized eggs are not available there are other safety steps that can be taken when handling and cooking eggs to minimize the risk of food borne illness. The USDA requires pasteurization of all liquid egg products sold in a carton.
Safe Egg Handling
Washing your hands before and after handling of raw eggs can help to minimize cross contamination of potential bacteria. Additionally, ensuring all surfaces, utensils, and equipment that may have been used for preparing raw eggs are washed well with warm soapy water before being used for preparation of other foods.
Safe Egg Cooking
When cooking eggs, make sure they are cooked thoroughly until the yolks and whites are firm. Cooking scrambled eggs until they are firm throughout can help to ensure any present bacteria has been killed. Fried eggs should be cooked for 2-3 minutes on each side or 4 minutes in a covered pan. When preparing foods that contain raw eggs, ensure they are heated thoroughly. Dishes such as casseroles made with raw eggs should be heated to at least 160° F and checked with a food thermometer to make sure they have reached that temperature internally before consumption.
