THAN AMERICAN EGGS DIFFER FROM RUSSIAN ONES
The USA is one of the few countries where eggs are kept in the cold. In Russia, too, but we have a big difference. Why do Americans do this? If we talk about eggs, then they can have one of the most common health hazards: the bacterium Salmonella. This bacterium infects eggs in two ways. First, it can appear on the surface of the shell, immediately after the chicken has postponed it, because at that moment it often contacts the excrement containing the bacteria of Salmonella. The second way is infection from the inside, that is, when the egg was obtained from chicken salmonella infected. Studies show that eggs contaminated with Salmonella, which are stored at room temperature for more than three weeks, are filled with bacteria in larger quantities than those stored in the cold. That is why Americans store their eggs in the refrigerator: on the one hand, to prolong their life and, on the other hand, to reduce the risk of infection with the bacterium. So, the question should be asked the opposite: given the sanitary advantages of refrigerators, why do not other countries transport and store eggs in cold temperatures, as they do in America? Yes, because the difference from America, they do not need it. Why? In America, eggs are washed, and how illogical it does not sound, after washing eggs become more susceptible to infection. As already noted, eggs are infected due to contact with excrement. Regardless of whether they contain a salmonella bacterium or not, contamination becomes a reason for cleaning eggs. This is exactly what the Americans are doing. Advanced automated processes that are cleaned off the pollen eggs with a belt conveyor, after which they are dried under high pressure, and then chlorinated to remove contaminants and bacteria as far as possible, but leave the shell intact. Or rather, almost undamaged. When a hen lays eggs, it covers them with a layer of liquid called a cuticle. It dries in a few minutes and is an amazingly effective way to protect eggs from infection. According to European standards, this is called: "an effective barrier against the penetration of bacteria with a set of antimicrobial properties." The American system of washing eggs removes this natural protective cover. "Such damage," European standards note, "can contribute to the penetration of infection through the shell, as well as the loss of liquid and, thus, increases the risk to the consumer, especially if subsequent drying and storage are not the best way." For this reason, washing eggs is illegal in most countries of Europe. In an interview with Forbes magazine, the head of the British Council for the production of eggs, Mark Williams, indicated another reason for refusing to clean the eggs. "In Europe, this understanding is in fact supported by local farms. It is in the interests of farmers to produce the most pure eggs, because no one will buy them if they are dirty. " Okay, but then why does not everyone just keep eggs in the fridge? Does not this give unwashed eggs a longer shelf life? Perhaps, but the European Union again notes that, also like washing, cooling can significantly increase the risk to the consumer. Again, based on European standards, eggs that are stored in the cold, and then find themselves at room temperature, are covered with condensate, which "provides an increase in the number of bacteria on the shell and their subsequent penetration into the egg." According to the norms of the European Union, the transportation and storage of eggs should occur with the least temperature fluctuations. In the winter it is 19-21C, and in the summer 21-23C. But there is another reason why Americans store eggs in the refrigerator. In the United States, the risk of salmonella infection is significantly higher than in Russia, because American chicken is more likely to carry this bacterium. In the UK, the vaccination of chicken from salmonella is regulated by law. This protection measure, introduced in the late 90s, reduced the level of salmonella infection from 14,771 cases in 1997 to 581 in 2009. In the US, there are no such laws, and so far only some farmers are vaccinating their hens as a result of a massive recall of their products in 2010, Salmonella remains a serious public health problem. Even though eggs are washed and stored in the refrigerator, according to the US Food and Drug Administration, nearly 150,000 people are affected each year with salmonella