As the salmonella crisis in the US continues, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday warned the public against consuming raw eggs.
In the US, half a billion eggs have been recalled in the past month after thousands of people were sickened from eating eggs contaminated with the salmonella enteriditis bacteria. The bacterium lives in the digestive tract and animal waste and is typically spread via birds, flies, mice and other animals.
Salmonella is spread most often by consuming food contaminated by animal fecal matter. Symptoms of salmonella infection include vomiting, stomach ache, diarrhea, dehydration, headaches, fever and loss of appetite for several days.
Although the outbreak in the US has not spread to Taiwan and no eggs from infected farms are known to have made their way into the country, local health authorities are monitoring the situation closely.
The FDA yesterday warned against eating raw or not fully cooked eggs, which can increase the risk of salmonella infection. Bacteria cannot survive under high temperature and fully cooking an egg would kill it, health officials said. The egg should be heated for at least 10 minutes at temperatures above 75˚C so that the center is fully cooked.
Consumers are advised to wash their hands after handling eggs, especially those that have not been machine-selected. The FDA also advised consumers to take notice of the expiration date, and to keep raw and cooked foods separate when preparing meals.
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