MODERN FOOD SAFETY: The Ocean and the Chicken Coop


MODERN FOOD SAFETY: The Ocean and the Chicken Coop

Being Alive Newsletter, Being Alive/Los Angeles - May 1993
Jennifer Jensen

Cooked poultry should be very tender with no trace of pink in the white meat, and fish must be flaky no runny or mushy flesh. Of course, raw fish (including sushi, oysters, undercooked shrimp/lobster, raw clams) is always a risk.

These facts were discussed in a Tuesday night nutrition group. One Friday night following the food safety course, a member went for sushi with her husband and another couple. The men had raw fish and the women didn't. Both men were in the hospital by midnight. Neither was HIV+. The women (naturally) were just fine and healthy enough to nurse their men back to health.

Egg protein, which is all in the white, is the so-called "gold standard" for measuring protein value. Egg whites, however, represent a significant safety hazard. Eggs are routinely exposed to salmonella, an AIDS-defining opportunist. We must expect that raw egg whites have active salmonella.

Well cooked eggs are quite safe. Soft yolks and runny whites are out! Other egg risks include Caesar salads, homemade egg nog, puddings, custards, hollandaise/bearnaise sauces, and some meringues. Phoney eggs are safe because the whites have been pasteurized.

Like the whites in fake eggs, pasteurized milk products are the only safe ones. Avoid "raw" dairy products including cheeses and butter. Risky cheeses also include soft and/or moldy varieties such as brie, camembert, blue and roquefort.
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This information is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
©1993. AEGIS.