Egg Recall Update

"Love and eggs are best when they are fresh." - Russian Proverb

The recent recall of more than 380 million eggs because of Salmonella poisoning has ignited yet another nationwide debate concerning the care of farm-raised chickens. Federal officials have indicated that this recall could have been avoided if the egg producers had followed new safety rules. Said rules require that farms both test eggs regularly for Salmonella, and safeguard against hens becoming infected with the bacteria. Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating sanitation conditions at these egg processing facilities: Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms, both of Iowa.

Officials state that eggs become infected with Salmonella through a hen's ovaries. In addition to the general living conditions, Wright County Egg is also being investigated for rodent control. Throughout the duration of the recall, no natural or organic eggs have been named. This, according to experts, is because of the vast difference in how they are raised.

Recalled Brands

If you purchase your eggs conventionally - meaning, from a store rather than a farmer - there are certain brands to watch out for. The following brands are among those supplied by the recalled suppliers:

• Albertson
• Alta Dena Dairy
• Bayview
• Becky
• Boomsma's
• Cal Egg
• Cardenas Market
• Challenge Dairy
• Country Eggs
• Driftwood Dairy
• Dutch Farms
• E&M Ranch
• Farm Fresh
• Farmer's Gems
• Generic Large Loose
• Glenview Farms
• Hidden Villa Ranch
• James Farms
• Kemps
• Liboria Market
• Lucerne
• Lund
• Market Pantry
• Mi pueblo
• Mountain Dairy
• Nulaid
• Pacific Coast
• Ralph's
• Sam's Bulk Pack
• Shamrock Foods
• Shoreland
• Shurfresh
• Sparboe Farms
• Sunny Farms
• Sunny Meadow
• Sunshine
• Sun Valley
• Trafficanda
• West Creek
• Wholesome Farms
• Wagon Trail
• Yucaipa Valley

Why Naturally-Fed Hens are Superior

One of the first attacks made on commercial egg suppliers is the way in which they supply the eggs to grocers. At Wright County Egg, eggs are packaged and then repackaged by different distributors. This system requires more handling, larger travel times and the potential for unsafe refrigeration temperatures.

According to Gail Damerow, author of several books that explain the healthy raising of chickens, "Eggs from natural and organic producers usually take a more direct route to the customer. When customers know where their food comes from, producers have a greater incentive to provide safe products."

Hens that are naturally-fed are permitted to graze freely on fresh greens, seeds and bugs. This is in accordance with their actual body requirements. Chickens are not vegetarians, but rather omnivores. When commercial farmers give them a steady diet of soy, grain and chicken by-product, nutritional requirements are in fact not met. Thus, hens with free access to the outdoors or pastures are provided with the most beneficial food source. Naturally-fed hens are also kept out of overcrowded and overstressed large industrial operations. When chickens are maintained in battery cages, they develop a lower resistance to disease. This increases the farmer's use of antibiotics and also leads to more resistant strains of bacteria. Ultimately, both factors are passed to eggs, which are then likely to infect humans as well. Sanitation, therefore, is another problem that regularly occurs on commercial farms.

In contrast, Damerow states, "Natural and organic producers rely on proper management practices rather than on the improper use of antibiotics (and) generally follow more humane, less stress-inducing practices." To find eggs from such producers, look for those labeled as "pastured." These are most likely to come from farmers' markets or natural food stores. Persons can also contact local farmers and ask if they offer pastured eggs to buyers.

Health Benefits of Naturally-Fed Hens

In addition to the elimination of overcrowding and stressful living conditions, naturally-fed hens also receive proper nutrition and adequate exercise. Such benefits are visible in the quality of eggs, which are more likely to be free of harmful bacteria and other toxins. According to recent tests conducted by Mother Earth News magazine, eggs from chickens that range freely also deliver nutritional benefits. When said eggs were compared to official US Department of Agriculture data for commercial eggs, the results were as follows:

• Pastured eggs contained 1/3 less cholesterol than commercial counterparts
• Pastured eggs contained 1/4 less saturated fat
• Pastured eggs contained 2/3 more vitamin A, twice as many omega-3 fatty acids and seven times more beta carotene

Officials still warn consumers against commercial eggs that are labeled as free-range, cage-free or organic. Many operations employ such words without strictly following protocol. According to researchers, Salmonella is often transmitted to laying hens when rodents enter the flocks' feed, and their feces transmit bacteria to the birds. This is largely the reason behind commercial operations like Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms conducting such a widespread recall.

The close living quarters of hens means disease and bacteria can spread swiftly and readily. As such, a consumer's best defense is to wash all egg shells after purchase, store them at less than 40F in the interior of the refrigerator rather than the door and cook complete eggs - yolk and all - to a temperature of 160F. This ensures proper handling at all times to deter from potential bacteria contamination.

Sources: http://www.eatwild.com/healthbenefits.htm

http://naturalfoodsmerchandiser.com/tabId/119/itemId/4901/Egg-recall-expands-naturals-not-included.aspx

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2010/08/20/egg-splained-free-range-cage-free-and-organic/

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2010/08/which-eggs-may-have-salmonella.html

http://www.eggsafety.org/mediacenter/alerts/73-recall-affected-brands-and-descriptions