The Incredible, Edible Egg? Unhealthy Troubles in Egg-Ville

Well. It seems that America's, and indeed one of the world's, most favorite natural foods, the egg, is suffering from a severe salmonella outbreak here in the U.S. Hundreds of people have been sickened in at least four states, and quite possibly more than that.

So what happened? A company called the Wright County Egg, of Galt, Iowa, has recalled almost 32 million dozen-egg cartons. That comes up to around...380 million eggs! The eggs were linked to illnesses in four states: California, Colorado, Minnesota, and North Carolina. These eggs were distributed through under numerous brand names. They are Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Boomsma's, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemp. The Centers for Disease Control is working with state health departments to track the illnesses, and there have been no reported deaths thus far.

Salmonella is a common form of bacterial food poisoning; and the strain found in this outbreak is the most common, accounting for about 20 percent of all food poisoning cases. The most common symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 8 to 72 hours of contamination. It can be life-threatening. This particular form of salmonella can be passed from chickens that appear to be healthy, and the bacteria can grow inside the eggs, not just on the outside.

Thoroughly cooking eggs will kill the bacteria; but the best way to avoid this epidemic is to simply stay away from eggs for a while. The yolk in an egg is high in fat and cholesterol anyway, making them an unhealthy food choice. Try cereal for breakfast instead! Or if you really want an egg, try Egg Beaters. They are a healthy alternative to regular eggs, and they taste great with less calories, no fat, and no cholesterol. I eat them regularly for breakfast, and to use as a dip for coating meats before "breading" them. So until the CDC says otherwise, my family will not be eating eggs anytime soon!

http://camspeedsventures.com/
Sharon Campbell is president of Camspeed Enterprises, LLC, and is trying her hand at article-writing. Our overall theme is Healthy Lifestyles, and the websites cover all things healthy, such as cooking, food, fitness, and weight loss.