The Truth About Eggs
By Genevieve Joy
I was in Iowa when the eggs were recalled. And yes, I ate recalled eggs. I wish I could say my organic eating habits saved me from exposure; but I was in a pinch and went conventional.
But does “organic” mean you’re safe from salmonella?
A recent Mother Jones article exposed flaws in the organic egg industry. Organic hens must be cage free but the type of outdoor access and the length of time allowed outside is undefined, which means they can be cramped up like conventional hens with only occasional access to a small yard.
The salmonella bacteria has been found on the dusty floors of henhouses and many conventional hens never get the pleasure of touching the ground; so in an ironic twist of fate, it follows that cage free hens potentially have more contact with the bacteria.
Furthermore, the USDA recently published a study showing that the eggs from cage free hens have a higher chance of chemical contamination from the soil where they roam.
But there are also numerous conflicting studies that show otherwise.
So what do we do?
This egg epidemic can help us all be educated consumers (and, we hope, compel farms to clean up their act). Start with this organic egg scorecard from the Cornucopia Institute that grades based on a number of criteria. The base of the salmonella problem is cleanliness, whether the farm is organic or not. The FDA recommends only buying refrigerated eggs. Also (obviously, I hope) avoid eggs that are cracked or have fecal matter on them. Because we wouldn’t want to ask you to give up your raw cookie dough.
