Survey of raw egg use by home caterers

Outbreaks of egg related salmonella infection continue to occur despite over ten years of national guidance on this subject. Fifty-four out of 70 registered home caterers in Cheshire responded to a telephone questionnaire, which revealed that a sixth prepared raw egg dishes containing shell eggs, none used pasteurised egg, and advice about storage of eggs and handwashing was not always followed. A postal questionnaire sent to 13 wholesalers and major supermarket chains showed that pasteurised egg was available in large packs from wholesalers but not from supermarkets. It is time to consider new approaches to reinforce advice about pasteurised egg use for raw egg dishes, storage, and measures to prevent cross contamination. These findings have implications for the training of home caterers and the general public.