Healthy Living: Eggs Have Been Recalled!!!!

“A series of salmonella outbreaks across the country have prompted Iowa egg producer, Wright County Egg, to recall 380 million products. Eggs under the brands Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farm, and Kemps should be returned to the store in which they were purchased for a refund. The recall is for shelf-eggs only, meaning that products containing eggs are not affected. FDA is collaborating with Federal and state partners to investigate a nationwide increase of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) infections. Partners include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and state public health and agriculture officials. Joint FDA/CDC field investigation teams are working to identify potential sources of SE infection in shell eggs. Click here for the full article. ”

Click here to find out how to tell if your eggs have been recalled.

How can you be safe as a consumer while handling eggs?

• Keep shell eggs refrigerated at ≤45˚ F (≤7˚ C) at all times.
• Discard cracked or dirty eggs.
• Wash hands, cooking utensils, and food preparation surfaces with soap and water after contact with raw eggs.
• Eggs should be cooked until both the white and the yolk are firm and eaten promptly after cooking.
• Do not keep eggs warm or at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
• Refrigerate unused or leftover egg- containing foods promptly.
• Avoid eating raw eggs.
• Avoid restaurant dishes made with raw or undercooked, unpasteurized eggs. Restaurants should use pasteurized eggs in any recipe (such as Hollandaise sauce or Caesar salad dressing) that calls for raw eggs.

Kim and I have been talking a lot about how we have been on a quest to eat a more natural, whole foods diet. In the process of doing this, we have been buying more locally grown foods. Not only to know how they are growing the food, but also to support our local farmers and in turn, limiting our support for “big business” food manufacturing companies. I am sickened to see that 380 million products have been recalled and these are products that I may be feeding to my family. This reinforces to me why I don’t want to support “big food” in this country and why supporting and purchasing from your local farmers is soooo important (or you can grow your own)! If this is something you feel passionately about, or just something you want more info on, I highly recommend watching Food Inc. This film is eye opening and will change your life… truly! If you are interested in finding places close to you where you can purchase local produce, meat and dairy please visit this link!

If you are local to Cincinnati, here a few places we love where you can purchase food locally:

• Farmers Markets
• Findlay Market
• Red Sun Farm

All in all, buying food locally is good for many reasons:

• You are supporting your local farmers and small businesses which helps the economy in your area
• You are helping the planet by saving the gas that it would normally take for items to be shipped to your local grocery store from other parts of the country
• Naturally, you end up buying less processed and packaged food. This is good for your body because you know what ingredients is in your food and it is good for the environment because you are putting less waste into a landfill. If you have your own compost, you can even throw your leftover scraps into that instead of the garbage!

Are you convinced??!!! I know that we can’t do it all, but this is one thing I am passionate about and although I am not the healthiest person 24-7 and I still purchase products from the grocery store, I am trying my hardest to make changes!!! One of my favorite sayings, “Small things done with great love will change the world”! I am trying to make changes in my life for the love I have for my family. Even if they are small changes I make each and every day (and Lord knows I am not perfect!), I hope that it will have a lasting effect on my family and ultimately the world! It may seem crazy, but I really do believe it! Everything we do individually adds up to a whole!!!

I am going to get off my soap box now… thanks for listening! I would love to hear your favorite local places you visit and what changes you are making to change the world :)