Following our original predictions last Thursday, the national recall of 380 million eggs due to salmonella contamination has since increased to more than 550 million eggs.
FDA head Margaret Hamburg tells The Associated Press that consumers can protect themselves from getting sick by thoroughly cooking eggs and avoiding “runny egg yolks for mopping up with toast.”
ACSH staffers wholeheartedly agree. “Critics sometimes accuse us of downplaying health risks, but the egg recall story we published last week is evidence of the fact that we take food-borne illness very seriously, and recommend that our readers do the same, “ says ACSH's Jeff Stier. “Unfortunately, it is the risks associated with salmonella that are often downplayed, yet we would like to remind consumers that they should take all necessary precautions to protect themselves, such as washing their hands, utensils and food preparation surfaces after contact with raw eggs.”