The bird flu outbreak may have some people concerned whether it’s safe to eat eggs, particularly after the United States’ largest fresh egg producer detected the virus in one of its Texas facilities.
The Mississippi-based Cal-Maine Foods – which distributes eggs in the Mid-Atlantic – said Tuesday that it was euthanizing 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets, approximately 3.6% of the company’s total flock. During bird flu outbreaks, sometimes domestic flocks are “depopulated to control the spread of disease,” according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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Eggs currently in the market have “no known risk related to” highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI and no eggs have been recalled. “The company continues to work closely with federal, state and local government officials and focused industry groups to mitigate the risk of future outbreaks and effectively manage the response,” Cal-Maine Foods said in a press release.
The spread to poultry comes after avian influenza was found in dairy herds in Texas, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico and Idaho. Earlier this week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that a person in Texas had tested positive for HPAI – the second person to have ever tested positive for avian influenza viruses in the United States. The first case occurred in Colorado in 2022.
With all this news, people may be worried about putting milk and eggs on their kitchen tables. But federal agencies say there is no need for alarm – though certain preparation guidelines should be followed before consuming eggs.
Pasteurization kills any possible viruses, including avian influenza, before milk enters the commercial market, and milk from any affected animals is being diverted or destroyed so that it does not enter the human food supply. People should not worry about drinking milk during the current bird flu outbreak because there is “no concern that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health, or that it affects the safety of the commercial milk supply,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Additionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that eggs from poultry infected with bird flu are very unlikely to wind up in the retail market and that proper storage and preparation of eggs further reduces the risk of contracting avian influenza.
Bird flu is not a foodborne illness, “which means you can’t contract it from eating properly cooked poultry or eggs,” according to the Egg Industry Center at Iowa State University, which provides scientific information, data and resources to the egg industry.
How to properly cook eggs
Due to the risk of Salmonella bacteria, which can cause food poisoning, the FDA and other health agencies recommend the safe handling and preparation of eggs at all times, not just during bird flu flare-ups.
Fun fact: Pennsylvania ranks fourth in the top 10 egg producing states with 22.6 million hens as of January 2023, according to the American Egg Board. Its mission is to support U.S. farmers and increase the demand for eggs and egg products.
Here are guidelines from the USDA, the FDA and the American Egg Board on the safe handling and preparation of eggs:
• When buying eggs, choose Grade A or AA eggs with clean, uncracked shells, and make sure they have been refrigerated.
• Don’t eat raw eggs or use recipes in which the raw egg ingredients are not cooked. Take eggs straight home and store them immediately in the refrigerator, set at 40 degrees or slightly below.
• Store eggs in the carton in the coldest part of the refrigerator – not in the door.
• Use raw shell eggs within 3 to 5 weeks. Hard-cooked eggs will keep refrigerated for one week.
• Wash hands, utensils, equipment and work surfaces with hot, soapy water before and after they come in contact with raw eggs and raw egg-containing foods.
• Cook eggs until both the yolk and the white are firm. Scrambled eggs should not be runny.
• Cook eggs to a minimum temperature of 160 F maintained for 2 minutes or an end temperature of 165 F. For example, a fried or poached egg cooked to these guidelines will result in a solid or firm yolk.
• For scrambled eggs, omelets and frittatas, cook until the eggs are thickened and no visible liquid egg remains.
• Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160 F. Use a food thermometer to be sure.