Should
you reuse egg cartons from the store? Are they safe? I'll admit, I've
accepted cartons from well-meaning friends and neighbors and stored my own farm
fresh eggs in them. But there is this nagging feeling that makes me question - "Is
it safe?" Especially as I sort
through the containers to try and find ones that are not stained from dripping
eggs whites passing across them to the fry pan. Or from broken eggs shells once
stored inside. Most times this pickiness leaves me with a bag full of fire starter
instead of storage containers.
So
when our daughter found hard plastic egg cartons, and on sale too, I jumped at
the opportunity to leave used egg cartons behind.
Then
comfortable with my decision, I did some research on just what a risk I had
been taking. What I found scared me.
·
Salmonella is one such bacterium and
it can remain alive for weeks lurking in a used egg carton.
·
You can be
a salmonella carrier without symptoms and pass the disease on to others.
"The
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that 79,000 cases of
foodborne illness and 30 deaths each year are caused by eating eggs
contaminated with Salmonella.
- For this reason Israel
Health Ministry issued a ban on used cardboard egg cartons for arts and
crafts in their schools and day cares.
Thinking twice yet?
So what about Styrofoam egg cartons? I saw that some
on the internet felt they were safe to reuse because they were sterilizing them. But is that enough? Styrofoam is
porous and lightweight foam. This porosity helps maintain heat and cold but it also is perfect for harboring bacteria.
Apparently if Salmonella is given time to form a
biofilm in the Styrofoam then sterilization is not enough. If not, then yes, you can reuse the cartons but there is no
way for those of us without training and the equipment to know if sterilization is enough. The simple answer to those who would bless you with the offer of used egg cartons is, "No, thank you." or use them as a fire starter. They work great!
(Did not type this post in capital letters. And it does not show up as such in my draft. Do what is up with that. I will be switching one of these days to the new site and this should not happen.)
So when our daughter found hard plastic egg cartons, and on sale too, I jumped at the opportunity to leave used egg cartons behind.
Apparently if Salmonella is given time to form a biofilm in the Styrofoam then sterilization is not enough. If not, then yes, you can reuse the cartons but there is no way for those of us without training and the equipment to know if sterilization is enough. The simple answer to those who would bless you with the offer of used egg cartons is, "No, thank you." or use them as a fire starter. They work great!
(Did not type this post in capital letters. And it does not show up as such in my draft. Do what is up with that. I will be switching one of these days to the new site and this should not happen.)
