The warning is particularly relevant to a common cooking practice in which eggs are placed directly into a pot of rice and cooked together.
According to the dietitians, eggshells may carry harmful microorganisms, including Salmonella and E. coli. When unwashed eggs are placed directly in food, bacteria present on the shell can potentially spread to the rice or other ingredients through contact.
The risk may be higher during the period before the cooking water reaches a full boil. During this warm-up stage, food and surfaces can remain within temperatures that allow some bacteria to survive and potentially spread.
The experts therefore advised consumers to avoid placing dirty or visibly contaminated eggs directly into rice or other ready-to-eat foods during cooking.
They recommended handling eggs carefully, keeping raw eggs separate from cooked food and ensuring that eggs and other ingredients are properly cooked before consumption.
Food safety experts generally stress that preventing cross-contamination is an important part of reducing foodborne illness. Bacteria from raw foods can be transferred to cooked foods, utensils, kitchen surfaces and hands if appropriate hygiene practices are not followed.
For households that prefer to cook eggs alongside rice, using clean eggs and maintaining good food-handling practices can reduce unnecessary contamination risks. However, eggs should not be treated as sterile simply because their shells appear clean.
Proper handwashing after handling raw eggs, cleaning cooking utensils and surfaces, and ensuring that food reaches safe cooking temperatures are also important precautions.
The dietitians’ warning serves as a reminder that simple kitchen habits can have implications for food safety. Taking extra care when handling eggs can help reduce the risk of bacteria spreading to meals consumed by the household, particularly among children, older adults and people who may be more vulnerable to foodborne infections.
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