With salmonella concerns “triggering the recall of more than a half-billion eggs in more than a dozen states,” experts stand by their long-standing, and simple advice: run away from raw or runny eggs. (S. Reitz, AP, 8/25).
However, experts have also come up with food safety tips to keep cooks at home “in the kitchen and out of the hospital,” all the while still enjoy Eggs Benedict and Pasta Carbonara. As a personal injury lawyer, I encourage all consumers to follow these tips to avoid unnecessary hospital visits.
First, eggs remain fresh for approximately a month after purchased. Do not consume questionable eggs – eggs with cracked shells are a definite pass, but also those who have been sitting in the refrigerator for longer than you can remember.Next, try to eat thoroughly cooked scrambled eggs and hard boiled instead of sunny side up. As for poached eggs, a little longer is better, and about 5 minutes in gently boiling water should keep salmonella at bay.Finally, for those recipes that simply cannot work without a little raw egg, consider a pasteurized egg product. These products, usually sold in cartons near milk, have been gently heated to kill off any pathogens. Some food service professionals have switched to this safer alternative.
