How to avoid food poisoning when eating raw eggs
One third of Aussies risk their health playing raw egg roulette.
It's Food Safety Week in Australia and new research has found that many Australians risk food poisoning by consuming uncooked egg dishes.
A study by the Food Safety Information Council reveals 36% of Aussies eat foods which contain raw eggs such as hollandaise, fresh mayonnaise, aioli, egg nog, some health shakes and steak tartare.
1 in 10 Australians consume raw egg dishes at least once a month.
The greatest proportion of raw egg eaters (43%) are aged 18-34, while Queenslanders (42%) eat more raw eggs than residents of any other state.
While eggs are a simple and delicious source of nutrition, they can be contaminated by salmonella when laid, resulting in potential food poisoning when eaten raw.
The Council offers these six tips to minimise health risks associated with consuming raw eggs:
- Never serve to children, pregnant women, the elderly or people with compromised immune systems.
- Don’t use any visibly cracked eggs as the salmonella on the shell could get inside.
- When eating raw eggs don’t use the shell to separate egg yolks and whites, use an egg separator.
- Remove any pieces of shell from dishes when preparing food to avoid possible contamination.
- Prepare raw egg foods and drinks just before you are going to consume them.
- Wash your hands with soap and running water and dry thoroughly before and after handling any food.
Test your knowledge by taking the "raw and risky" quiz and for more info visit the Food Safety website.
Is your workplace kitchen making you sick? Find out what you can do about it.
Latest health insurance headlines
- 4 health insurance features to look for in 2023 – beyond just price
- Want to avoid health insurance price hikes? Act fast.
- 3.3 million Aussies will switch or ditch their health cover in 2023
- 2 big changes to health insurance rules from 1 July: Will you pay more?
- Hungry for healthcare: 4.3 million Australians say they are underinsured
Picture: Shutterstock
