Salmonella contamination drives retail sales of pasteurized shell eggs

Consumer demand for safe eggs has driven retail sales of pasteurized shell eggs up by more than 50% since Aug. 16 when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended their use to prevent illness from egg-related Salmonella Enteritidis, announced National Pasteurized Eggs (NPE).

New retailers now adding NPE's Davidson's Safest Choice brand of pasteurized shell eggs include Wakefern Food Corp., with ShopRite stores along the East Coast, SaveMart with stores in California and Nevada under the names of Save Mart, S-Mart Foods, Lucky, and FoodMaxx and Hy-Vee stores throughout the Midwest. For a full list of retailers carrying Davidson's Safest Choice eggs, visit www.safeeggs.com.

Davidson's Safest Choice eggs are "slow-pasteurized" in all-natural warm water baths while still in their shells to destroy Salmonella, but protect the farm fresh taste of the egg.  This innovative technology is recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to inactivate Salmonella and the Avian Influenza Virus.  NPE offers both cage-free and traditional eggs produced with its patented "Safest Choice" technology, and is the world's largest producer of pasteurized shell eggs.

"The skyrocketing demand for these eggs in new grocers is a clear indication that consumers will not accept the "buyer beware" position, insisting that the food industry provide safe products that they can cook anyway they want," said Greg West, president of NPE. "Our eggs provide protection from Salmonella without compromising on taste or forcing the consumer to cook their eggs hard."

The retail availability of pasteurized shell eggs is fairly recent, West said, and consumers are often surprised that the eggs are still in the shell.

"Our eggs are the perfect choice for use when preparing sunny side up or over easy eggs, or in recipes in which the eggs may not be fully cooked,"  West said.  "Our pasteurized shell eggs look, taste and perform like any other egg, except they are free from Salmonella."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) avoidance of Salmonella is crucial for at-risk populations such as seniors, children under 10, pregnant women, diabetics and other people with compromised immune systems. Use of pasteurized shell eggs makes sure the eggs served are safe, and also protects the kitchen from dangerous cross contamination.

SOURCE National Pasteurized Eggs