HYGIENE

Contamination of Eggs in India

Dr. Saurabh Arora

Generally speaking, most poultry farms in India follow poor rearing practices. There is every likelihood that many of them could be using contaminated feeds or using feed ingredients without any knowledge of their nutritive content which can eventually negatively influence the quality of egg production. Unhygienic rearing practices and neglect of quality control measures in poultry farms can easily lead to egg contamination. It is not just the poultry farmers but traders, exporters and even the end consumers in the country are often unaware of the lesser known health risks of egg contamination.

Developed countries take measures to sterilise the egg surface from contamination, especially from Salmonella Enteritidis. In India, such measures have widespread absence and thus the risk of egg contamination is high in our country. India has become a leading poultry producer but the potential to make an impact in the global markets with its poultry products is not very bright as the quality of its poultry products in the country often does not meet international standards. Indian eggs are often rejected for export because of the presence of chemical residues on egg shells.

Recently, a number of eggs in the domestic market were collected and tested and were found to contain large amounts of salmonella, both on the shell and inside the egg. However, fresh eggs collected from farms indicated less salmonella contamination. Since most consumers in India buy eggs from retail outlets, their chances of contacting salmonella infection is far from negligible. Rampant lack of food safety procedures, improper storage facilities and poor transportation are some of the other causes of deterioration in eggs’ quality in India.

The FSSAI has proposed standards for fresh eggs in the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Amendment Regulations, 2017. The FSSAI has laid down parameters, which state that the eggshells must be free of blood rings, must not be soiled or have faecal matter and they must not be cracked or leaking. FSSAI has laid down the amount of water, protein, fats and carbohydrates that eggs must contain as also the hygienic parameters and hygienic controls, like time and temperature that must be observed during production, processing and handling, which includes sorting, grading, washing, drying, treatment, packing, storage and distribution to the point of consumption.

Furthermore, FSSAI has laid emphasis on the storage conditions like moisture and temperature so as to reduce microbial contamination as microbial pathogens are a risk to human health.

Having Safe Eggs

A number of surveys have been conducted which suggest that consumers have less awareness of food safety risks of eggs as compared to other food products. Many people will follow the hygienic practices when handling chicken, meat and fish but will overlook the recommended hygienic practices for eggs.

It is not a wrong observation that people in general do not wash their hands after handling eggs or even after breaking raw eggs when cooking. This is probably because of the simplistic perception that eggs are generally safe. They could be safe to intake only if they have been cooked properly, which means that they must be cooked till their yolks and whites develop firmness. Dishes that contain eggs as ingredients must reach an internal temperature of 160 degree Fahrenheit. It is the requisite temperature for destruction of salmonella through cooking.

Besides cooking eggs thoroughly, there are other food safety practices that you need to follow when handling eggs, in order to prevent cross-contamination. Some of which are following: • Egg handlers must wash their hands with soap after handling raw egg/s and also clean surfaces and utensils with soap which have come in contact with raw egg/s during their handling of egg/s. • Containers that have been used to process raw eggs must not come in contact with other ready-to-eat food • Segregate eggs in the grocery bags when shopping and in the refrigerator when storing them • Temperature of the refrigerator must be maintained at 33 to 40 degree Fahrenheit for storing eggs • If eggs are left outside after refrigeration then they need to be used within two hours or else they need to be discarded • Refrigerate eggs only after they have been washed • It is advisable not to eat raw eggs.