June 18, 2001

1999 FDA Food Code Does Not Prohibit Restaurants from Serving Sunny-Side-Up or Over-Easy Eggs

Contrary to some mistaken recent media reports, the 1999 FDA Food Code does NOT prohibit restaurants from serving sunny-side-up or over-easy eggs. The Food Code, which is FDA guidance on restaurant safety, says that if less thoroughly-cooked egg dishes are served in restaurants, consumers should be provided with an advisory -- on menus, brochures or other written materials -- that there is an increased risk associated with eating undercooked eggs especially for vulnerable consumers.

Restaurants and other retail establishments should continue to follow their local and state health regulations covering food service establishments, many of which have adopted the FDA Food Code.

There is a new FDA rule relating to egg safety. However, it provides safe handling instructions to consumers. This final rule dated December 2000 will take effect on September 4, 2001, and states that egg cartons sold in supermarkets and other retail establishments must bear safe handling instructions. This label is an advisory to advise consumers, especially those most vulnerable to foodborne illness, about the potential of illness from Salmonella enteritidis.

This rule is one part of the larger Egg Safety Action Plan, a farm-to-table approach for ensuring the safety of our nation's egg supply. For more information on the Egg Safety Action Plan go to http://www.foodsafety.gov.

Easy Access to Web Information for Health Care Professionals

Health care professionals can now easily access an extensive source of government websites to help them better diagnose patients with foodborne illness and educate patients about food safety. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that there are 76 million cases of foodborne illness in the United States each year, but the exact number is not known because many victims don't seek medical care. When patients do go to the doctor, it is important that the correct diagnosis be made. The new website at www.foodsafety.gov makes it easy for those looking for clinical information, making it a valuable resource. At the click of a mouse, health professionals can find information in one of three main sections:

• Foodborne Illness
  • The Bad Bug Book and fact sheets provide information about symptoms of foodborne illness and what types of organisms or other food agents may cause patents to become ill.
  • Diagnosis and Management of Foodborne Illness: A Primer for Physicians is available on line through a link to CDC. Developed jointly by the American Medical Association, Food and Drug Administration, Food Safety Inspection Service of the USDA and CDC, the primer features foodborne illnesses tables, including diagnostic features and laboratory tests to confirm the presence of specific organisms. Learn what questions to ask and what to look for by reading the patient scenarios and taking a self evaluation in the "clinical vignettes" section. The primer also states whether or not a physician needs to notify local or state health departments when foodborne illness is suspected or confirmed.
• Resources for Your Patients
  • Information tailored for specific at-risk populations such as women, children, seniors and people with AIDS or other immune deficiencies is available. Hot topics such as food allergies and dietary supplements are also found here.
• Medical Publications
  • Keep up with illnesses throughout the nation by reading Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which is based on weekly reports to CDC from state health departments. Cutting edge research related to diseases can be found in the CDC peer-reviewed journal Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal

Food Safety Initiative Staff E-mail: chall@cfsan.fda.gov

Office Number: (202) 260-8920 · FAX (202) 260-9653 CFSAN Web site: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/

Hypertext updated by cjm 2001-JUN-22