Kitchen hygiene when handling eggs: Not just relevant at Easter New ‘Risiko kompakt’ podcast episode for the Easter season
What it's about:
Whether hard-boiled or beautifully painted: at Easter, eggs are virtually everywhere in this country. However, anyone handling raw eggs should take care: pathogens that pose a health risk can adhere to and under the shell, particularly Salmonella and Campylobacter. “These are bacteria that can cause headaches, stomach ache, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea in humans,” says Dr Istvan Szabo, Head of the National Reference Laboratory for Salmonella at the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment). In the latest episode of the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment science podcast “Risiko kompakt”, Szabo explains which population groups are particularly at risk – and which simple hygiene rules offer protection in everyday life and when blowing out Easter eggs.
Salmonella and Campylobacter occur relatively frequently in nature. Despite strict controls, they therefore keep turning up in animal housing where eggs are produced. The laying hens themselves are often not even sick. However, they carry the relevant pathogens and sometimes pass them on to the eggs. During packaging, the germs can also spread from one egg to another – and ultimately end up in our kitchens or on our plates.
To minimise health risks, Szabo advises that eggs should ideally be stored in the fridge at home: “Fridge temperatures between four and six degrees are ideal for this. At these temperatures, the pathogens on the eggshell can no longer multiply.”
If the eggs are subsequently boiled or fried, any salmonella and campylobacter are also rendered harmless: “There’s a good rule of thumb: at least two minutes at a core temperature of at least 70 degrees,” explains Szabo. “If we’ve achieved this when boiling eggs, making scrambled eggs or cooking them in the oven – then we can be very, very sure that these pathogens have been killed.”
Particular caution is advised when eggs are used raw: for example, in classic tiramisu, chocolate mousse – or even when blowing out Easter eggs. Because the eggs are not heated in these cases, any germs present can multiply rapidly in the if there is any doubt. That is why it is very important to use only fresh eggs for such purposes.
Anyone wishing to blow out raw eggs at Easter should make sure to wash them beforehand with lukewarm water and washing-up liquid. This will at least remove any pathogens that may be present from the shell.
However, as Salmonella or Campylobacter can also be present inside the eggs, it is better not to blow them out with your mouth. Simple aids can prevent your mouth from coming into direct contact with the eggshell or the raw egg.
Many shops now sell ready-made kits for blowing out and painting eggs. These often include a small bellows. “But if you have a straw at home, that’s perfectly adequate. You simply place the straw over the hole and blow the eggs out with a bit of pressure.” Alternatively, of course, you can also use hard-boiled eggs or wooden, polystyrene and plastic eggs for painting and decorating.
Link to the full podcast episode:
External Link:https://podcast.bfr.bund.de/14-kuchenhygiene-bei-eiern-nicht-nur-zu-ostern-relevant
Quotes and sound bites from the podcast episode may be used freely provided the source is acknowledged.
About the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment
The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) is a scientifically independent institution within the portfolio of the German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH). It protects people's health preventively in the fields of public health and veterinary public health. The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment provides advice to the Federal Government as well as the Federal States (‘Laender’) on questions related to food, feed, chemical and product safety. The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment conducts its own research on topics closely related to its assessment tasks.
About “Risiko” and “Risiko kompakt”
Daily newspapers, news portals and social media posts constantly warn about new health risks: plasticisers in sunscreen, microplastics in the body or alleged contaminants in food. But what is really behind these supposed dangers? And how great is the risk for me personally? In our German‑language podcast formats “Risiko” and “Risiko kompakt” (“Risk” / “Risk compact”), we get to the bottom of such topics — calm, scientifically sound and easy to understand. In “Risiko”, this happens in relaxed, half‑hour conversations. “Risiko kompakt”, on the other hand, focuses on the essence of a story and uses original audio from experts to explain the most important facts and background.