ARE EGGS DANGEROUS WITH BIRD FLU RAMPANT
Those who have traveled extensively will be well acquainted with the vagaries of ‘breakfast’ as a concept, as a practice, as a meal. The American breakfast is infamous for its excess, with its multiple components, requirements for starches, the abundance of protein sources, the reliance on frying. A nutritionist might say this meal typically is less than optimal. But there’s obviously an exception: the incredible, edible egg.
The venerable chicken, a resident of numerous backyards and local farms, whose ancestors were dinosaurs, gives rise to the glorious golden orb that is the chicken egg (no offense to the wonderful duck egg, of course). This characteristically shaped item is a favorite of chefs and foodies worldwide, used in dishes and meals too numerous to count. Fry one up and tasty dining awaits you.
Although concerns were raised some years ago regarding the dangers of egg consumption, those warnings have become less strident. We can confidently say they are a nutrient-rich source of protein, providing all nine essential amino acids, as well as other important requirements for health and vitality. The most vocal warnings on egg ingestion were in regards to cholesterol. Indeed, eggs are high, but the research has shown us the cholesterol in eggs doesn't raise blood levels significantly.
As has been definitively determined, fat consumption is necessary for good health. And eggs contain a good mix of healthy fats, especially the unsaturated variety. As everyone should know, there are good fats and there are bad fats, with the typical western diet providing too much of the unhealthy type (saturated and trans-fats). Eggs can aid in heart health by lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) and raising the good kind (HDL).
These tasty orbs are rich in many essential vitamins and minerals, a long list including vitamin A, D, vitamin E, B12, selenium, and others. Eggs are one of the best sources of choline, which is a nutrient necessary for brain development and nerve health. Eye health is benefited since eggs are high in certain antioxidants that protect us from macular degeneration and cataracts.
For many of us, a breakfast without eggs really isn’t complete. Consequently, we eat a lot of eggs, to the tune of 92 billion annually. But that may change as supplies dwindle and costs soar. If you haven’t shopped recently for this particular item, be prepared for a shock. If you’ve been living in a cave, you may not have heard about avian influenza, the strain of bird flu racing through our chicken flocks. Over 13 million commercial egg-laying hens were felled by a viral contagion in a single month. Egg shortages have occurred nationwide, pushing prices up to unheard of levels.
To supply the American palate, large scale factory farms were built decades ago, mostly in the Midwest due to the supply of chicken feed. Factory farms are large-scale “industrial” operations, focused on raising animals quickly, to produce eggs and dairy faster. The result is the U.S. is a major producer of eggs, in fact the world's largest.
The living conditions endured by these birds have allowed a viral organism, having sufficiently mutated (which is what viruses do), to spread rapidly through their ranks. But the experts believe there is little risk to people since, it is claimed, these birds sicken rapidly, dying before they are able to produce a contaminated egg.
Some experts claim we cannot get sick from avian influenza by eating food products contaminated with the virus. But it seems probable since monkeys have been sickened by drinking raw milk which contained the virus. The bird flu infection apparently was transmitted to humans, but not through eating eggs. 66 people seem to have become ill recently by contracting bird flu from sickened animals.
It may be helpful to know the process of pasteurization kills the virus, as does cooking eggs thoroughly. This means those of us preferring our eggs ‘sunny side up,’ are going to be deprived if we are practicing safe food preparation. Scientists state that the risk of contracting bird flu from eggs is slim, and even the consumption of raw eggs is unlikely to lead to this illness.
Safety is a reasonable concern, understandable given recent experiences with viral infections. Are eggs safe to consume these days? Clearly, the powers that be are comfortable giving a tentative answer of “we think so,” especially if you cook your eggs appropriately. And it appears the likelihood of infected eggs reaching your grocery store is minimal. The claim is that our stringent inspections of chicken flocks would prevent the dissemination of infected dairy.
Regardless, caution may be the order of the day. Practice good food handling techniques, like regular hand washing. Preparation of cooking surfaces is recommended, cleaning after each use. And avoid the temptation to sample that batch of cookie dough. There are numerous pathogens out there far more common than bird flu, like salmonella, causing illness to people on a regular basis. The microbial world is there, it’s all around us. You can’t live in a bubble.