Egg Prices Skyrocket, But Are They Safe Amid the Bird Flu Crisis?
Egg prices are making people do a double-take and reach deeper into their wallets, but what may be even more concerning is the safety of eggs right now. With the bird flu outbreak and the government’s lack of transparency, which has limited communication from health agencies, it’s tough to figure out what’s actually safe to eat.
Egg Prices Soar as 20 Million Chickens Lost to Bird Flu
Lately, the cost of eggs has been hard to believe. In NYC, eggs currently range anywhere from just under $7 to$12, and that’s just for a dozen.
While all products are expected to rise under the threat of tariffs, the spread of bird flu (also known as avian influenza) in California’s poultry farms is making things worse and pushing prices even higher.
The current chicken crisis has been unparalleled, with over 20 million egg-laying chickens either dying from the disease or being culled in the past quarter. It’s a devastating number.
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Government Restrictions on Health Communication Raise Concerns
Adding to the challenge, there are increasing concerns that crucial health information is being deliberately withheld. The Trump administration has paused public communications from federal health agencies, including press releases and social media updates.
A memo from Health and Human Services Secretary Dorothy Fink says everything now needs approval from a political appointee, including updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration. This includes regulations, guidance, announcements, press releases, social media posts, and website posts. This particular rule will stay in effect until at least February 1st.
In addition, following an executive order, CDC staff were instructed to sever communications with the World Health Organization as the United States withdrew from WHO. Since the full withdrawal process takes a year, the United States government was ordered to stop working with them in the meantime. The U.S. will be the only country in the world to not be a part of WHO besides Liechtenstein.
How to Stay Safe When Eating Eggs and Poultry
Though we may feel out of control with our current health and safety regulations and food supply, one thing we can do is implement safety practices to help guard against bird flu. The CDC advises taking these precautions:
Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat: Uncooked or undercooked poultry can carry harmful bacteria and viruses, including avian flu.
Cook meat thoroughly: Make sure to cook poultry to the proper internal temperature to kill avian influenza A, as well as any harmful bacteria or viruses. The USDA recommends cooking all poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F, and the best way to check is with a food thermometer.
Ensure eggs are fully cooked: Cook eggs until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F to eliminate any potential viruses. Avoid consuming raw or undercooked eggs.
Follow proper egg hygiene: Always wash your hands, utensils, and surfaces after handling raw eggs to reduce the risk of spreading harmful bacteria or viruses.
Choose pasteurized milk: Don’t drink raw milk. Always drink pasteurized milk and choose products made with it. Pasteurization kills viruses like avian flu and keeps you and your family safe.
Stay Calm and Follow Simple Safety Guidelines
While precautions should be taken it’s also important to be pragmatic. Mark J. Mulligan, MD, the director of the Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology at NYU Langone Health says there is no need to panic.
“A lot of this is common sense: avoid raw milk, avoid uncooked or undercooked poultry meat and eggs,” says Dr. Mulligan. “There is no reason for the families to panic or be overly concerned at present, if a few common sense guidelines are followed.”
Dr. Mulligan advises following the right safety practices, “In my family, we continue to eat fully cooked eggs and poultry, and we drink pasteurized milk.”
High Protein Egg Alternatives
Still, many of us may prefer to avoid eggs for the time being, whether the prices just aren’t worth it or you’re a bit grossed out by them now. That doesn’t mean your nutrition has to suffer.
Two eggs usually give you about 12 grams of protein, which is a pretty standard breakfast serving. If you’re looking for other options that pack the same amount of protein or even more, you could substitute:
- 1/2 cup of tofu: 10 grams
- 1 cup quinoa: 8 grams
- 1 oz cheddar cheese: 7 grams
- ½ cup of black beans: 8 grams
- 7 oz. container of high protein Greek yogurt: 20-25 grams
- 2 tbsp peanut butter: 8 grams
Recalls Are Temporarily on Hold, Too
Due to a department-wide pause on communications ordered by the current administration, several federal health agencies have stopped sharing important health updates, including info on some ongoing outbreak investigations. Normally, the FDA releases weekly updates on foodborne outbreaks, but this week they didn’t.
The last update, from January 15, said that authorities were looking into multiple outbreaks of E. coli and Listeria.
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