Bacterial Infection of Washed and Unwashed Eggs with Reference to Salmonellae

Abstract

A survey of eggs in the Fraser Valley area of British Columbia was conducted to determine the level of bacterial contamination on washed and unwashed shell eggs and the incidence of Salmonella infection in shell eggs. Samples of eggs were taken from 15 grading stations. Determinations of eggs from 87 shipments showed that a higher proportion of eggs was heavily contaminated (>5-million organisms per egg) after washing than as received at the grading stations. This finding suggests the need for the development of more satisfactory washing procedures. No salmonellae were detected in the 180 samples (3,995 eggs) which were examined. It was concluded that Salmonella contamination of intact shell eggs does not constitute a serious health hazard in eggs from this area.