Is the bird flu sham your eggs ? Should you eat fluid eggs mightily now ? We asked the experts .
Greg DuPree | Food Stylist : Chelsea Zimmer | Prop Stylist : Christine Keely
Avian Influenza , commonly known as bird flu , is distribute from farm to farm across the United States , with48 states reporting case and more than 96 million birds affected . Bird flu is propagate by migrate waterfowl ( ducks , geese , and other aquatic razz ) leave infected droppings on farmland , says Jeanine Flaherty , Vital Farms vice president of food safety and tone pledge . Flaherty also notes that cases typically spike during bird migration periods in the leaping and fall .
Credit:Greg DuPree | Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer | Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Marc Dresner , film director of integrated communications at the American Egg Board , says the computer virus is nearly always fateful to chickens , and the USDA requires emergency depopulation after a case is found to prevent the spread to neighboring farm . Egg granger across the body politic are invest 1000000 of dollar bill in biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of the bird flu , he say .
Despite these forethought , in its many variation , the birdie flu has still pretend other farm creature as well , most latterly with12 states cover cases in dairy farm kine . With casing and variants spreading , it ’s raw to wonder what risks consumer confront and if there will be serious effect on our ability to buy new egg and dairy farm products . Keep reading to learn fundamental info about bird flu and how it ’s affecting consumer .
What risks does bird flu pose to consumers?
fit in to the CDC , public health risk remains low , with only four reported cases of humans contracting the virus due to prolonged exposure to infected birds or livestock . Dresner says the public can be positive in the eggs at the grocery storehouse , and that the likelihood that eggs from infected fowl terminate up in the retail mart is low thanks to to wide safeguards , including testing of flocks and federal review programs .
If cases of bird flu are found on farms with eggs - lay hens , Dresner says the specific farm and the USDA work quickly to react to the problem . According to Flaherty , if any chicken on a Vital Farms property is retrieve to have the computer virus , all eggs from the farm are toss away .
How Bird Flu Is Affecting Consumers and the Supply Chain
Because of flock testing , inspections , and quick responses to fowl flu cases , Dresner say one of the few negative impacts on the provision strand was increase terms . He says some lawsuit of bird flu created an intermittent disruption in the egg supply , which temporarily lead tohigher ball prices . However , he sound out the U.S. egg supply is still strong , with approximately 300 million hens pose eggs across the country , so there ’s no indigence to worry about whether the egg table at your grocery store will be stocked .
Jacob Fox
Preparing and Cooking Eggs
According to the FDA , there is no grounds that bird flu is transfer through the right way manage and cook testis . This does n’t mean there are n’t safeguard consumers can and should take , though . To properly wield your eggs , keep them in their cartonful in a icebox low than 40 ° F . They can be falsify and eat forup to three calendar week after purchasewhen kept refrigerate ; verify to not depart them out on the counter for more than two hours .
When cooking eggs , both the ballock white and yolk should be cooked until house — that intend no fluid centers . And scrambled eggs should not be runny , either . Egg stunner and casseroles should be fix to at least 160 ° F , per the FDA , and if saved for leftovers , should be reheated to at least 165 ° degree Fahrenheit . These FDA recommendations apply to all egg dishes , all the clip : To truly follow all good practices to annul foodborne unwellness , you should always ensure eggs are fully cooked ( or otherwise treated ) . Yes , that means no runny nut — sorry , brunchers .
" H5N1 Bird Flu Detections across the United States in Backyard and Commercial Poultry . " Avian Influenza ( Bird Flu ) . U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Credit:Jacob Fox
" Detections of extremely Pathogenic Avian Influenza ( HPAI ) in Livestock . " creature and Plant Health Inspection Service , U.S. Department of Agriculture .
