Californian Reacts | Why US Produced Eggs Are BANNED in Europe (& vice versa)

Why does the US and Europe NOT purchase eggs from each other?

Believe it or not, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) graded eggs would be illegal if sold in the UK, or indeed anywhere in the European Union (EU). It’s all to do with the fact that commercial American eggs are federally required to be washed and sanitized before they reach the consumer. EU egg marketing laws, on the other hand, state that Class A eggs – those found on supermarkets shelves, must not be washed, or cleaned in any way.

“In Europe, the understanding is that this mandate actually encourages good husbandry on farms. It’s in the farmers’ best interests then to produce to cleanest eggs possible, as no one is going to buy their eggs if they’re dirty, ” explained Mark Williams, Chief Executive, British Egg Industry Council in a phone interview.


According to the USDA, despite how conscientious and thorough modern day farm-management practices might be, there will still be a small percentage of “dirty eggs” produced. Dirt almost always equates to chicken manure and, if the eggs are produced in a free-range system, other raw agricultural commodities that hens might pick up from roaming freely.

Any feces on the exterior of an egg shell poses a food safety threat from potential cross-contamination if, say, a consumer cracks open an egg then proceeds to prepare a salad with those same bacteria-riddled hands. Since egg shells are porous, there’s also the possibility of micro-organisms migrating inside the egg under certain conditions.

The USDA is just as concerned about keeping processed eggs that move from a packing facility to a store shelf to the domestic fridge at a consistent temperature. However, on this side of the waters, that consistent temperature across the board should be 45°F or lower. As a point of contrast, in Britain, the Lion Quality Code of Practice - an egg quality assurance scheme established in 1998, recommends that consumers keep their eggs below 68°F.

Why the difference? Howard Magwire of United Egg Producers suggests that the British might consider the cuticle as providing adequate protection for their eggs and so are less concerned about the need to chill them. But there’s also another vital reason. An egg isn’t just at risk from salmonella contamination when its shell is sullied with feces. Salmonella can make its way inside the egg in the reproductive tract of a hen before the shell is formed. Once this happens, no amount of washing of sanitizing post-lay will rid the egg rid of contamination.

Since the late 1990’s, British farmers have been vaccinating hens against salmonella following a crisis that sickened thousands of people who had consumed infected eggs. Amazingly, this measure has virtually wiped out the health threat in Britain. In 1997, there were 14,771 reported cases of salmonella poisoning there, by 2009 this had dropped to just 581 cases. About 90 percent of British eggs now come from vaccinated hens – it’s required for producers who want to belong to the Lion scheme. The remaining 10 percent come from very small farmers who don’t sell to major retailers.

In contrast, there is no such requirement for commercial hens in the US. Consequently, according to FDA data, there are about 142,000 illnesses every year caused by consuming eggs contaminated by the most common strain of salmonella. Only about one-third of farmers here choose to inoculate their flocks. Farmers cite cost as the main reason not to opt for vaccination –FDA estimates say it would cost about 14 cents a bird. The average hen produces about 260 eggs over the course of her lifetime.

What’s this got to do with refrigeration? In the 1990’s research showed that eggs containing salmonella did not experience any prevalent growth in the number of salmonella cells when kept at room temperature for up to 21 days after purchase. Post 21 days however, and the eggs were heavily contaminated. Further research has shown that storing contaminated eggs in cooler temperatures prohibited the growth of bacteria within the egg over a considerably longer period of time.

Without the assurance that American egg-laying hens have been vaccinated against salmonella, it’s prudent to store our eggs in the fridge, just in case.

- https://www.forbes.com/sites/nadiaarumugam/2012/10/25/why-american-eggs-would-be-illegal-in-a-british-supermarket-and-vice-versa/?sh=50ddb6c84050

Original video from SideNote - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo3PDWeHb58

Well now you know!

#fda #chemicals #EMA