Salmonella Prompts Warning on Raw Eggs

In the wake of three salmonella outbreaks in California this year, federal health officials said Thursday that hospitals, nursing homes and restaurants should use pasteurized egg products in recipes that call for raw or slightly cooked eggs.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said pasteurized egg products are free from salmonella bacteria, which can make people sick with fever, diarrhea and stomach cramps.

“Replacing raw eggs in nursing homes and hospitals is the single most important step in preventing outbreaks in these settings,” said Dr. Tom Gomez, a U.S. Department of Agriculture epidemiologist at the CDC in Atlanta.

“With restaurants, it’s difficult to do that, since a lot of people prefer sunny-side-up eggs or individual egg dishes. But they should use the pasteurized product as often as possible,” he said.

From 1985 through 1992, there have been 430 outbreaks of salmonella infection in the United States, mostly in northeastern states. This year’s outbreaks in California were that state’s first caused by eggs, Gomez said.

“With the coast-to-coast distribution, eggs that are in California may have originated at farms in the Midwest and Northeast,” Gomez said.

A January outbreak in Los Angeles County involved six people who ate egg dishes at the same restaurant over a two-week period. Health investigators found that the restaurant’s egg salad and a container of raw eggs were stored at too high a temperature.

A February outbreak in San Diego County involved 23 people who ate entrees served with hollandaise or bearnaise sauces at the same restaurant on the same day.

The third outbreak occurred in Santa Clara County in March and involved 38 people who ate sandwiches prepared with homemade mayonnaise at the same restaurant over a week. The mayonnaise was prepared with raw eggs.