Is there salmonella in quail eggs? This product is no longer a gimmick that many bypassed in stores. It is bought on a par with chicken eggs and is used in the preparation of many dishes. In addition, the debate about what type of eggs - quail or chicken - is more beneficial, does not stop.
In connection with the rooting of this product on the shelves of Russian markets, the question is whether it is possible to get salmonella from quail eggs. Is it a myth or a truth? Learn from the article.
Does Salmonella come in quail eggs?
For a long time, there was a belief that the answer to the question was no. This was due to the fact that the body temperature of birds reaches 44 ° C, and such an environment is harmful to bacteria. There is a belief that birds are, in principle, not susceptible to such bacteria.
However, the assumptions presented failed miserably under the weight of scientific research. And the answer to the question whether there is salmonella in quail eggs is yes. Alas...
Why can bacteria be in quail eggs? Most often this happens due to the fact that the birds were fed with poor quality food, which contained the microorganism. Another reason is the non-observance of bird keeping standards (inappropriate environmental conditions), due to which the immunity of quail is weakened, and this causes the development of salmonellosis.
Salmonellosis - what kind of "beast"?
Salmonella is a rod-shaped, non-spore-bearing bacterium. It provokes an acute infectious disease salmonellosis, which can infect both animals and humans. It affects the digestive system.
Salmonella bacteria enter the body through foods such as eggs, milk and dairy products, and meat that have not been cooked. It is high temperature that is harmful to bacteria.
The viability of anaerobes in water lasts up to 5 months, but in the soil up to a year and a half. Raw meat "stores" in itself a rod-shaped bacterium for up to six months. As for milk, here the life expectancy of salmonella is as follows:
- about 20 days in milk;
- 30 days in kefir;
- 4-5 days in butter;
- in cheese, the bacterium lives up to a year.
In an egg product, vitality also has its term:
- 3-9 months in egg powder;
- 17-24 days on the shell.
Salmonella die at a temperature of 70 ° C, that is, about 7 minutes of cooking. However, if a large piece of meat is cooked, then in its thickness the bacteria can withstand 10-20 minutes of boiling.
How long does it take to cook quail eggs to destroy the bacterium? 4-5 minutes will be enough to exterminate salmonella. The same time is enough for chicken eggs.
In milk and meat products, salmonella not only persist for a long time, but also intensively reproduce. At the same time, microorganisms tolerate the process of food pickling and smoking well, but when frozen, they even prolong their viability.
Consequences for humans
Lovers of eggs, in particular, quail, can not deny themselves a favorite product because of the fear of contracting an unpleasant disease. The thing is that the Salmonella microorganism lives only on the eggshell, but after a day or five it can penetrate inside. For this, certain microclimate conditions are needed.
In this connection, it is necessary to observe precautions before using the product, namely, thoroughly wash the shell with soap or detergent before breaking the egg.
There are several types of diseases caused by salmonella, and the one that occurs in birds is called pullorosis. But, what’s interesting, the species of the Salmonella gallinarum bacterium in quails causes pullorosis, while in humans it causes only a mild form of food poisoning. But the species Salmonella enteritidis is not dangerous for birds, but deadly for humans. It even leads to death.
Salmonellosis manifests itself in a person with the following symptoms: fever, diarrhea, weakness and muscle pain. Therefore, contacting a doctor with the following symptoms should be immediate.
The quail egg myth
For a long time, the companies supplying the studied goods to the counters claimed that their product is absolutely safe even in its raw form. Even Japanese scientists conducted an experiment in which people drank a raw product and their condition improved: digestion normalized, headaches went away, fatigue disappeared. And no salmonellosis attacked them.
However, all this could be taken for reality, if not for one “but”. In addition to drinking raw eggs, subjects ate vegetables, cereals, and refused harmful fried and smoked food. That already, in itself, normalizes the state of health.
Why are there not salmonella in quail eggs, namely in those that went to the test subjects? Probably, the quality of the product was of a high level, excluding the development of bacteria on the surface.
Reasons for the appearance of the myth
Is there salmonella in quail eggs - a question that has a positive answer. And the appearance of the myth of the complete absence of a microorganism in the product is caused by nothing more than the fact that the basal temperature of birds is higher than that of the same chickens or geese. So the bacterium does not take root in the avian organism and dies.
Yes, indeed, the feathered quail families themselves do not suffer from salmonellosis, but the microorganism can be present in their body in a state of suspended animation, without affecting the condition of the quail.
In fact, only high temperatures (70 degrees) can destroy the microorganism, but within a few minutes. So you need to know how long it takes to cook quail eggs. It is important!
After all, we can say that quail and their eggs are carriers of Salmonella.
What are the labels on quail egg packages about?
The myth that quails do not suffer from salmonellosis and their eggs can be drunk raw, was printed on product packaging for some time. And claims to this inscription, from a legal point of view, no. Indeed, indeed, birds do not suffer from salmonellosis, they are only its carrier. And this fact was not announced anywhere.
Although a considerable number of consumers agreed that there is no harm from quail eggs, there are not so many cases of infection. But this is due to the fact that chicken eggs are used more often than quail eggs, which means that the risk of getting infected from chicken is many times higher.
Raw quail eggs: consequences
Drawing conclusions, we can say that eating raw eggs, as well as eggs with unwashed shells, can easily provoke the appearance of the following symptoms in a person:
- increase in basal body temperature;
- digestive system dysfunction, manifested by nausea, vomiting and / or diarrhea;
- allergic skin rashes, more often manifested in children;
- acute pain in the abdominal cavity.
Signs of infection appear 2-3 hours after the onset of infection, although the incubation period lasts in the human body for 3 days.
Preventative measures
It is important to observe the following recommendations:
- Before using quail eggs, wash their shells with soap and a brush.
- Cook for at least 10 minutes, so you should discard the eggs in bags.
- Omelette lovers need to fry the dish on both sides, subjecting it to complete heat treatment.
- It is worth completely abandoning such a dish as fried eggs, especially to lovers of a liquid yolk.
- Before buying, check the expiration date of the eggs, and at home carry out additional verification measures.
- Wash hands regularly, especially after contact with eggs in the shell.
- At the first symptoms that may indicate salmonellosis, consult a doctor.
How to check the product for bacteria?
Refuse the product is not worth it, because its benefits are great for the body. In addition, quail eggs can be checked. However, this can only be done in laboratory conditions, and the information received will be 100% correct.
But when buying a product in a store or on the market, you should ask about its expiration date, since the risk of contracting an infection from fresh eggs is minimal, almost 0. The shelf life of quail eggs at a temperature of 0 to 25 ° is 25 days (according to GOST).
Egg freshness can be checked at home. The method is quite well known: dip the eggs in a container of cold water. Fresh will remain at the bottom, not the first freshness will emerge vertically - rotten end up, but completely spoiled and completely emerge.
Another way to determine the freshness of quail (and any) eggs is to break them into a bowl and look at the type of yolk. If it is smeared, not uniform, then the egg is not the first freshness.
Conclusion
Is there salmonella in quail eggs - a long-settled issue. Like similar products from chickens or geese, these carry the same risk of infection. But precautions will help not get sick with salmonellosis. And from the use of the product in its raw form, you should completely refuse.