I don't know, but I can tell you a good way to test it: coddle 12 eggs this way, one by one, and as they come out of the water crack them and test the yolks. If they've hit 170F, yes, they're OK. If they're at about 160F or below, no. Eggs are quite small, and I doubt the carryover would be sufficient to knock a 160F yolk up to 170F. The cutoff on salmonella is basically 165F, but it has to be held for a little bit; at 170F you can pretty much just touch the temperature and it's all clear.
My bet: no. But I'd be very pleased to be proven wrong.
Eggperiment Results:
1 gallon of water, 2 tests 3 eggs at a time
Test 1:
45 Seconds = 66 deg
1 Min 30 Seconds = 77 deg
2 Min 15 Seconds = 87 deg
Test 2:
3 Min = 97 deg
4 Min 30 Seconds = 122 deg
6 Min = 137 deg
(I ran out of eggs)
So, this shows that even a soft boiled egg can have salmonella, and you would have to go probably 8-10 minutes to kill it, and at that point you are getting close to a hard boil.
I wonder if the claim is simply to kill salmonella on the shell, and assume (if the shell is not breached by cracks) that the bacterium did not get inside... but then, why bother? /img/vbsmilies/smilies/confused.gif
Cooking an egg for 45 seconds in boiling water will kill an salmonella that has contaminated the outside of the egg, but not any that was inside of the egg. Eggs can be contaminated in 2 basic ways. First, if the chicken is infected it can pass it on to the egg as it forms. Secondly a chicken can have the salmonella bacteria in its lower intestine without being "ill" and pass it on to the outside of the egg during the laying process or as she sits on it. The surface infection is easily killed by the method described above. Pasteurizing the interior is quite a tricky process as egg whites will start coagulate at around 140°F while yolks generally start to coagulate and denature around 150-155°F. An egg will be set all the way through by the time it hits about 170, give or take a few degrees.
I agreed that , if the shell wont crack how came the bacteria can get inside you are right ! I felt worry if egg those bacteria because im fun eating egg .. i like this as my breakfast ..Egg with milk .. hehhe
Here in the US the statistics are that 1 in about 20,000 eggs is infected with salmonella. This is probably a lot lower in most other countries as they don't use the same factory farming processes that the US does, in which animals are packed very closely together in very unsanitary condidtions.
The risk of becoming ill from an infected egg is very low unless you fall into one of the high risk groups...very young, very old or compromised immune system.
The risk of becoming ill from an infected egg is very low unless you fall into one of the high risk groups...very young, very old or compromised immune system.
Abe - what did you do with all those eggs?!! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/surprised.gif
I coddle my eggs at a low boil for 3-4 mins then out into cold water or use straight away. Eggs should be at room temp first though! Have never had a problem, but I'm not a food scientist. That just works for me cuz that's how I like them and I'm still alive and cooking. My kids have eaten them since they were toddlers with toast "soldiers" - they lived /img/vbsmilies/smilies/bounce.gif
Botulism can be found on any fruit or veg that comes in direct contact with soil. It is easily managed with a good washing, but the less smooth a veg is, the more attention to its scrubbing you should pay... in general, but especially when canning. Its a good idea to make sure you don't store garden fruits and veg in airtight containers since botulism thrives where oxygen is limited. Or so says the local health inspector. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif
Yes, it does. As a culinary scientist, let me give you a guide: In fried eggs, e.g. when the whites are firm but yolks are still not, the eggs are safe. At that stage the eggs come to about 145 degrees, totally safe to eat. Besides, egg white are safe even raw. Only the nutritious egg yolks are attacked by microorganisms. Egg whites contain antibacterial agents and are not very nutrition filled for the little buggers.
Abe - I reckon start with them room temp next experimentation time - I rarely refrigerate my eggs unless its really hot weather - but that's just me as a home cook. We use them up pretty quickly here so no prob with expiration date - never get close to it /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif
well I'm not totally sure about it being anti- bacterial but the conditions in an egg white is probably not fit for salmonella to grow as its pure proteins and salmonella needs sugar which can be found in the egg yolk.
well I'm not totally sure about it being anti- bacterial but the conditions in an egg white is probably not fit for salmonella to grow as its pure proteins and salmonella needs sugar which can be found in the egg yolk.
You can buy pasteurizd eggs in the store and save yourself the trouble. We used to "sanitize" eggs years ago by pouring boiling water over and letting stand 3 min. Salmonella is carried in the feces of chicken and so the contamination is considered to be limited to outer contact on the shell. The contamination would occur from the egg coming in contact with a contaminated shell after cracking. Now, the question I always have about this is I know egg shells are porous, so I would think the salmonella could "seep" in. I don't know if that would be possible as I have never looked at an egg shell or salmonella cell through a microscope. The salmonella cell may be too big to penetrate the pores in the egg shell. I don't know. Shell structure is also determined by breed of chicken and feed, so I would think there would be variables from egg to egg. The risk for salmonella in eggs is very low, as pointed out by other posts. It's one of those things I equate as having the same likelihood as being hit by lightning while you're cashing in your winning lottery ticket. I wouldn't worry about it.
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