Why Davidson's Safest Choice? Egg Safety!
Ensuring Egg Safety
Davidson's Safest Choice® Pasteurized Shell Eggs deliver the assurance of egg safety where ordinary eggs cannot.
- As of September 4, 2001, the FDA requires all retail shell egg cartons to carry an egg safety warning to the public: To prevent illness from bacteria: keep eggs refrigerated, cook until yolks are firm, and cook foods containing eggs thoroughly. (1) This language was put on egg cartons because of the risks posed by Salmonella found inside shell eggs. This warning was the only solution prior to the availability of patented pasteurization technology for destroying bacteria inside of shell eggs. Today this warning is mandatory on shell eggs. However, this safety warning is not required for Davidson's Safest Choice® Pasteurized Shell Eggs.
- All jurisdictions that have adopted the 2005 FDA Food Code, published by the FDA, require serving pasteurized shell eggs as the safe alternative to raw eggs to high-risk groups, i.e., hospital and nursing home patients, adults over 55, children, pregnant women and diabetics. (2)
- The FDA Food Code requires that food operations display signage regarding risk of foodborne illness warnings unless serving pasteurized eggs. (2)
- The FDA Food Code's requirements and recommendations are based on the accumulation of the best science and studies on food safety and are compiled by the USDA, FSIS, FDA and CDC as the best practices for food operations. (2)
- The FDA Food Code defines regular shell eggs as a Potentially Hazardous Food. Pasteurized shell eggs are exempt from this definition. (2)
- Operations serving Davidson’s Safest Choice® Pasteurized Shell Eggs are not required to use warnings about egg safety risks on their menus.
- The National Restaurant Association has recommended the adoption of the standards in the FDA Food Code to its membership. Additionally, they have added FDA Food Code based, egg safety standards as part of their ServSafe manuals for food operators.
- In the Federal government, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, and National Park Service all have adopted the FDA Food Code. (3)
- Heat pasteurization has been used for over 100 years and pasteurized eggs are as safe as pasteurized milk.
- The Federally sponsored WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program has approved Davidson's Safest Choice® Pasteurized Shell Eggs.
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6/01
2. The 2005 FDA Food Code
3. Department of Health and Human Services, 10/04