Eggs can put your friends and family at risk
In Australia, the incidence of salmonellosis, a foodborne gastrointestinal illness, has been increasing over the last decade, with eggs identified as the main cause.
Dr Whiley, an environmental microbiologist, aims to inform the environmental health profession of best practice to protect human health from pathogens present in the environment. Her research includes food safety, water quality and risk assessment.
Flinders University researchers have found that more than 50% of Australians surveyed were handling eggs in a dangerous manner when at home, putting themselves, family and friends at risk of food-borne illness.
“Our study revealed the need for the general public to be educated in safe food handling practices and to raise awareness of the risks associated with raw eggs,” says Flinders University environmental health expert Dr Harriet Whiley.
Flinders University’s Dr Harriet Whiley and colleagues study food-borne illnesses.
“We found that just over one-third of surveyed study participants always washed their hands, and only one in three always wiped down the bench after handling raw eggs.
“Interestingly, there was no difference in responses between male and female participants.”
Participants employed as Environmental Health Officers or Food Handlers were more likely to handle eggs in the safest manner.
Australian Food Safety Week 2017 (11-18 November) focused on ways to reduce the number of food poisoning cases in our community.
For more information read the full article Knowledge and Attitudes towards Handling Eggs in the Home: An Unexplored Food Safety Issue? by Dr Whiley, Flinders Associate Professor Beverley Clarke and Dr Kirstin Ross published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
