Guest columnist: an egg story

Most days I start my morning with eggs.

From time to time I hard-boil my eggs to eat whole or mash with mayonnaise to make a salad. Most days, though, I like fried eggs with a runny yolk or a scramble that is almost set. It doesn’t really matter which way I prepare them though; every time after eating I’m full of vitamins and protein and ready to tackle whatever is thrown my way.
Which is why the thought of my eggs causing diarrhea, cramps, nausea, vomiting, chills and a fever is enough to make me reconsider eating the food altogether. And that’s really unfortunate because I really like my eggs.

But that’s the harsh reality for more than 1,400 people who have fallen ill because of an outbreak of salmonella.  According to the United Egg Producers, it is the consumers’ fault for not properly cooking their eggs in the first place.

“Consumers that were sickened reportedly all ate eggs that were not properly or thoroughly cooked. Eggs need to be cooked so that the whites and yolks are firm, which should kill any bacteria,” said Mitch Head, their spokesperson.

That means the white of the egg must be cooked between 145 and 149 degrees, and the yolk should be between 148 and 149 degrees.

That means a hard, overcooked egg that I don’t want to eat in the morning. I have another idea for the United Egg Producers: How about you give me an egg that isn’t infected with salmonella and I cook it however I please.  

It really should not be that difficult. This nasty disease is caused by bacteria living in the intestines of different animals — and is most commonly spread by the contact of food with feces. While eggs are protected by a shell, they can still get infected if a sick chicken hatches it.

So how did 380 million infected eggs make it onto shelves?

One glance at the two Iowa farms responsible for the distribution of the eggs explains how wretched their conditions really are.

Jack DeCoster, whose family owns the farms, was named a “habitual violator” of environmental laws in 2000. He has been fined for hiring children and illegal immigrants, sued for rape and threats of retaliation and is now responsible for an 18-state outbreak of salmonella. I don’t even want to think about the conditions his chickens are kept in.

Eggs are a delicate and delectable food item that can be too easily ruined by a high flame. Don’t let the egg industry fool you into overcooking your whites because they are too incompetent to serve a safe product. Buy your eggs locally, go to the farmer’s market and keep your yolks runny — they’re just better that way.


E-mail: danfleis@indiana.edu