Advice for Caterers on Eggs
Some eggs may contain salmonella on the inside or outside of the shell, so you should handle eggs safely to prevent salmonella food poisoning.
Salmonella food poisoning is a serious illness, which can sometimes cause death. The people most vulnerable to salmonella are babies and young children, the elderly, pregnant women, or people whose immune systems are weakened.
People can become ill from eggs which contain salmonella if the eggs aren’t cooked properly, or if salmonella in the eggs is transferred to other foods by cross-contamination.
What eggs are safest to use?
All eggs are safe to eat if they are thoroughly cooked, to kill any bacteria.
Raw or lightly cooked eggs are used in some foods, such as: home-made mayonnaise, ice-cream, mousse, tiramisu, béarnaise sauce, omelette, quiche and icing. For these types of foods, it is safest to use pasteurised egg, as this does not contain salmonella. Pasteurised egg can be bought as a powder, a liquid or frozen.
Eggs stamped with the An Bord Bia Egg Quality Assurance logo are produced under strict conditions to prevent them becoming contaminated with salmonella. It isn’t possible to guarantee that that these eggs are salmonella-free, so you should still handle them safely. A list of producers who participate this scheme is available on Bord Bia’s website: www.bordbia.ie
Sourcing eggs
• Source eggs from a supplier registered with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, or an equivalent body in another EU Member State
• Eggs and packaging produced by registered suppliers in the EU are stamped with a registration number which includes a country code (IE for Ireland, UK for United Kingdom, ES for Spain etc.)
• Eggs produced under the Bord Bia Egg Quality Assurance Scheme are also stamped with the quality assurance logo
Storing eggs
• Store eggs in a clean, cool, dry place – ideally in the fridge
• Store eggs separately from other foods to prevent cross-contamination – remember salmonella can live on the outside surface of the shell
• Don’t use eggs after the ‘best-before’ date
• Don’t use eggs that are damaged or dirty
Cooking with eggs
• Use the safest eggs available, for example, pasteurised egg or eggs produced under the Bord Bia Egg Quality Assurance Scheme (or similar quality assurance scheme)
• It is safest to thoroughly cook eggs, as this will kill salmonella that may be present. This means cooking eggs until both the egg yolk and white are solid
• It is safest to use pasteurised egg for dishes that contain raw or lightly-cooked eggs
• Never store foods that contain raw or lightly-cooked eggs at room temperature, as bacteria could grow. Make sure these foods are consumed immediately, or stored in the fridge (≤5oC)
Avoid cross-contamination
• Wash your hands before and after handling raw eggs
• Dispose of broken egg shells immediately – do not keep in the same tray as unbroken eggs
• Handle raw eggs carefully, taking care not to splash onto food preparation surfaces, dishes, cloths etc.
• When whisking or beating eggs, take care that raw egg doesn’t spray out of the bowl
• Clean up drips and spills as soon as they happen
• Clean and disinfect surfaces after working with raw eggs
• Clean dishes and utensils after working with raw eggs
Vulnerable people
People most vulnerable to salmonella are babies, toddlers, pregnant women, the elderly and people whose immune system is weakened. If you are preparing eggs or egg dishes for these people, it is safest to use pasteurised egg. If shell eggs are used, they must be thoroughly cooked to kill any salmonella that may be present. This means cooking eggs until both the egg yolk and white are solid.
Last reviewed: 11/12/2009