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29 Sivan 5761 - June 20, 2001 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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Home and Family
Rabbonim Call for Caution in Purchase and Preparation of Food
by Devorah Plaut

The Vaad Halacha of the Maayenei Hayeshiva Hospital in Bnei Brak has issued a call to the public to exercise great care in purchasing food, especially eggs which can cause salmonella infections. The letter was signed by HaRav Shmuel Wosner, HaRav Nissim Karelitz and HaRav Yitzchok Silberstein, senior members of the Vaad Halacha.

In their letter, referring to eggs that come for tainted sources, the rabbonim write: "Since doctors found that there is danger (sakonas nefoshos) it is obviously forbidden al pi din to eat eggs that may be infected, and it is forbidden to sell such eggs as well."

This week, twelve people were hospitalized and many more are suffering from high fever, vomiting, and diarrhea after eating homemade ice cream made from salmonella-infected eggs at a sheva brochos in Bnei Brak. During the past month, well over 30 people with salmonella poisoning have been admitted to Maayenei Hayeshua Hospital in Bnei Brak.

A similar outbreak occurred in the U.K. about two years ago, when a "kosher-type" caterer ignored government directives prohibiting catering firms from using raw eggs in their products, and sold chocolate mousse for Pesach made with raw eggs. Many people became very seriously ill.

In an incident in the Israeli army two years ago, raw eggs were used to make mayonnaise and several soldiers died in the resulting salmonella-poisoning outbreak.

Contrary to common belief, the problem of salmonella in eggs is not limited to a particular source, such as Arab eggs or American eggs (although the incidence is lower in eggs from Israeli government-supervised farms). The key factors in whether the bacteria, which are present in chicken eggs from all sources, develop to dangerous levels are the length of time that passes before consumption and the temperature at which the eggs are stored.

According to Dr. Singer, chief veterinarian at the Israeli Department of Health, an egg can cause illness if the level of bacteria reaches 10,000 per gram. Since bacteria reproduce by splitting in two, their rate of increase is geometric, and it doesn't take long to reach dangerous levels. At 20 degrees C. (68 degrees F.), it takes 20 days. Above 30 degrees C. (86 degrees F.), the level of salmonella bacteria can reach dangerous proportions in just 2 days!

This is where Tnuva-marketed eggs in Israel have an advantage over eggs sold by street vendors or door-to-door salesmen (beitzei meshek -- which may be from the same sources as the Tnuva eggs, but were "left over" after Tnuva filled its quota). Tnuva stamps each egg with a date when the egg reached its candling plant. This date is 14 days from the current date, and it is recommended that eggs be bought only until the date stamped. If the eggs were kept at a temperature below 20 degrees (far from a sure thing during the summer in non-air conditioned stores), they are still way below the danger level and may be used for another month if kept refrigerated at home.

With beitzei meshek, on the other hand, there's no way of knowing how fresh the eggs are and, besides, these eggs are sometimes kept out in the sun for many hours. Eggs from Arab sources, moreover, are completely unsupervised, and may start off with much higher levels of bacteria. It was found that many eggs sold in Bnei Brak outside of the Tnuva marketing system are from the Palestinian Authority.

Yated Ne'eman has found that such eggs are also marketed in Yerushalayim in the chareidi neighborhoods, as well as in the Machane Yehuda market.

How are commercial products such as ice cream and mayonnaise made? Food manufacturers use pasteurized eggs, which retain all the properties and nutritional value of raw eggs, but have been heated to the point where the bacteria are destroyed. Dr. Singer said that he hopes to see the day when pasteurized eggs become available to the retail customer.

According to the Ministry of Health, until such a time as pasteurized eggs come on the market, the safest thing is to only eat eggs that are fully cooked. This means that a sunny-side-up egg, for example, should be turned over and cooked on both sides, and soft-boiled eggs should be avoided. The Ministry does not recommend using raw eggs, no matter what their source, in desserts, mayonnaise, etc.

If you can't resist making that homemade ice cream with raw eggs, you can reduce the danger by buying the eggs in an air- conditioned store and checking the date to make sure they're fresh.

 

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