Ohio: A Leader in Egg Production & Egg Safety
Overview:
Ohio Programs provide safest eggs
Ohio is the nation’s second-largest egg producing state,
producing nearly eight billion eggs each year. With that leadership
comes a responsibility to help protect the safety of the country’s
food supply.
Ohio’s egg producers take that commitment seriously and have put
in place strict standards and programs to ensure the eggs consumers
eat are safe, nutritious and of the highest quality. In 1996, Ohio’s
egg producers joined forces with the Ohio Poultry Association, the
Ohio Department of Agriculture, the Ohio Department of Health and
the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish the
Ohio Egg Quality
Assurance Program.
The program was created to minimize the risk of salmonella
enteritidis (salmonella) in eggs. It enhances the safety of
Ohio-produced eggs, while maintaining consumer confidence in the
quality of the eggs they buy.
Ohio egg producers also participate in other voluntary industry
egg safety programs, including the National Poultry Improvement
Program and the
United Egg Producers Five-Star program.
Egg
Safety
The egg is one of nature's most nutritious, economical and
versatile foods. It poses no greater food safety risk than any other
perishable food.
Most mishandling and reported foodborne illness outbreaks have
occurred in restaurants and institutions. Inadequate refrigeration,
improper handling and insufficient cooking are factors that have
contributed to disease outbreaks.
Proper sanitation by food preparers and cross-contamination from
other foods are other factors important to egg safety. Egg recipes
properly prepared in individual servings and promptly eaten are not
a problem.
According to the Center for Disease Control,
salmonella enteritidis (SE) outbreaks
have been reduced 48 percent since 1995 because of continuing egg
industry support of farm-level quality assurance programs like
Ohio's and through nationwide industry food safety education
programs.
About
egg safety and egg handling
Proper egg safety and handling is very important. Below are some
of the frequently asked questions
(FAQs) about how
to handle eggs:
Q: How long can I keep eggs in the refrigerator?
A: Eggs, kept in their cartons in the refrigerator, will keep at
least four weeks from purchase.
Q: How long can I keep hard-cooked eggs?
A: Once the eggs are cooked and cooled promptly, refrigerate the
hard-cooked eggs in their shell and use within one week's time.
Hint: Fresh eggs may be difficult to peel. Eggs which have been
refrigerated for a week to 10 days before cooking will usually peel
more easily.
Q: How can I keep a fresh egg "FRESH"?
A: Eggs lose quality very quickly at room temperature, so buy eggs
only from refrigerated cases. Take the eggs home and
refrigerate promptly. Look for shells that are clean and whole. Buy
as many eggs as you will use within a two to three week period.
Q: What are the chances of getting a Salmonella-infected
egg?
A: The Center for Disease Control estimates that, on average across
the U.S., one in 20,000 eggs might contain bacteria. At this rate,
if you consume 260 eggs per year, you might encounter a
contaminated egg once every 77 years.
Q: What is the best way to store eggs?
A: Store eggs in their carton because eggs can absorb refrigerator
odors.
Q: Is it safe to eat raw eggs?
A: The risk of foodborne illness from eggs may increase with raw and
lightly-cooked dishes. It's best not to serve raw or lightly-cooked
dishes made with eggs.
Note: There is no health risk if eggs are handled and prepared
properly.
Ohio Egg
Quality Assurance Program (OEQAP)
The OEQAP, a state voluntary program intended to minimize the
risk of salmonella enteritidis (SE) in eggs, is a
cooperative effort between egg producers and farmers, the Ohio
Poultry Association and the Ohio Department of Agriculture. The
program provides step-by-step procedures for egg producers to
produce, pack and sell the highest quality, freshest and safest eggs
possible. Ohio is one of only 10 states to have such a program,
which sets standards for the production, processing and
transportation of eggs.
OEQAP outlines stringent guidelines for the production of eggs,
including health monitoring of the chickens and environmental
testing in chicken houses. The program continues those guidelines
through processing, egg washing and inspection and transportation to
grocery and convenience stores across the region in refrigerated
trucks that are temperature-controlled to 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
Protect
our food supply
Consumers who purchase Ohio-produced eggs can be confident the
eggs they buy are safe and of the highest quality, because Ohio egg
producers make egg safety a top priority.
At the state level, the Ohio Department of Agriculture is working
diligently to increase efforts to protect the state’s farms and
livestock and maximize food safety for consumers. The
Department is
the state’s lead agency in investigating and controlling infectious
livestock diseases, including those that pose a threat to human
life. The Department also provides technical assistance to other
state agencies and industries regarding agriculture biosecurity and
has emergency-response plans to quickly control disease outbreaks
through animal quarantines and other measures.
At the industry level, Ohio’s egg producers are doing their part
by making both food safety and biosecurity top priorities. Many Ohio
egg producers have increased farm security by
installing security systems and video surveillance and by alerting their
employees of possible threats. In addition, egg producers are
working with local law enforcement and prosecutors in identifying
and prosecuting trespassers at agriculture facilities.
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