Food Safety

I can't handle my food staring back at me either! While I was living in Thailand I had to special order my fish because they would serve it with the head on. I just couldn't handle it, and the Thais thought it was a riot that I couldn't handle my fish staring at me. The first time they served fish to me, I had to cover it with my napkin...the waiter laughed so hard at me that all the staff had to see what was so funny! Oh, it wasn't botulism like I said, it's sauminilla (sorry about the spelling, the spell check on my computer doesn't recognize the word!)that you can get from uncooked or under cooked eggs. I don't think it was the eggs that landed you in the hospital, although if it was only days after you ate the raw eggs it could have been. In the olden days they had a cold storage spot dug under the house. They, if they lived where it snowed, would saw through the ice on the lakes and store it either in the area under their houses or they would have an ice house where it would be kept to use through the year. They would cover the ice with sawdust and burlap sacks to hold the cold in. During that time the biggest "sin" you could commit is to leave the ice house door open during warm weather. As for the eggs, they went through them so fast that they didn't stay out of cold storage very long. Usually they didn't waste valuable space in their cold boxes by storing eggs in it. They would keep things like milk and meat in it. OOPS! Sorry I got side tracked on a history lesson. I just broke my little finger on my right (dominant)hand and writing a long dissertation on how people in the olden days stored food helped reduce the pain! I slipped while reaching into the dog's pen and caught my right finger on the cage, which saved me from totally falling in and hurting myself worse. It also kept me from falling on the dogs which would have hurt them badly. Anyhow, thanks for reading my history lesson.

Uea, no that you mention it the hens laying the eggs aren't kept in any kind of cold storage either. I didn't know what they did in the olden days nobody even brought that up with my family. I did try them raw years ago and I am not sure if it was the cause but ended up in the hospital sometime afterward, maybe days or months though after so I can't be sure it was from that at all, it was too long ago to remember all the details and factual things. I like both sides of an egg cooked through too, I just get grossed out when I see a half raw egg and people think it's yummy too. Ugh.

Ha, yes the Asians and alot of other people such as that do love to serve their fish with the heads on. I have seen it alot, it is their custom to though. It might be disgusting to them for instance if we didn't leave them on. I ca picture them laughing at us squeamish types and the fish heads, all in good fun most likely. Hey I would have laughed too if I saw you cover it up with the napkin only cause I'm thinking you're a funny person, not to be making fun of you though. I have heard about those cold storage spaces, and in some places like Vermont and such I bet they can still do that in the winter. Sorry you broke your little finger, ouch! That must have hurt. Not to worry about the "history lesson", I like reading your long posts. I wish I had the energy to do that alot of the time, too.

OK, I wasn't sure if it was the other way around or not. I need to stick it on my fridge as well. It's always something on the fridge and papers get lost though. But it is a good reminder.

Well, I would try to test them out if I did get them. There is a way I guess. You put them in water, if they stay afloat then I think they are the bad ones. If they sink they are good. Or is it the other way around? Now I forget.

You're right. If they float they're no good. If they sink and lay on their side, they're very fresh. If they stand up but still are touching the bottom, they're okay, just not real fresh. I cut that out of a Woman's Day mag about 18 years ago & stuck it on my fridge.

There are lots of things that are done now because there are fridges. But some of the usual procedures we have noadays are not needed and weren´t done for ages.

Thats true. I wonder why we started putting them into the fridge then. I guess it was just a saftey precaution? Oh well, guess I'll never know. I'll still keep mine in the fridge though anyways. Just a habit now with me.

Oh OK, I didn't know this. I don't even know if I have ever had eggs that were stored this way to begin with so I guess I can't know for sure unless I tried one. But I believe you, they should stay fresh OK, as it is pretty cold in that entire isle, I am often freezing with a long sleeve shirt on when I go there in the summer.

Yup it is a very cold area, next to the cold storage shelf. That whole isle is usually freezing cold. I have to run through it sometimes in fact even in the summertime.

There is a way of knowing if they are fresh (scroll up), although you cannot check them at the super. But, on the other hand, you will never know where were the eggs before they were placed in a colder or warmer shelf.

They have those refrigerated storage things separate at least one other grocery store I go to but not this one, it's in the aisle instead of in the back of the store where they have that storage like the other one, so maybe that's why. You're right you can't check then at the supermarket, so you risk it. It's true too though that you won't ever know where the eggs were before they placed them on the cold storage shelf either. Good points!!

That is some great info, thanks deazil! I just was worried about it cause I have a sensitive stomach as it is and if I eat spoiled eggs well it would be a day of feeling ill for me and I don't even want to think about that.

You're welcome! I always thought they needed refrigeration. And, yeah, bad eggs in a sensitive stomach = . Thanks for commenting!

I have a sensitive stomach with alot of things so eggs wouldn't be a surprise. I can tolerate plenty though thank goodness of many others foods.

...and no, I would not buy them.

Yea, I thought so too but after reading some other comments on this here I wonder if it is OK afterall. That whole isle at the store is pretty much freezing. When I go there in shorts and long sleeve cotton top I still freeze like crazy most of the time. I suppose it's a matter of opinion or beliefs if you want to buy them or not.

Ok, I get it now, thanks for the input. I needed to get more opinions and virtual facts on it. I was sure. It seemed really wrong as a practice but I guess not, now.

I didn't even realized they washed the eggs, I learn something new everyday here on mylot it seems. Thanks for letting me know. This was interesting to read, all of it.

That is interesting to know about other countries other than my own, and France doesn't put the, on the cold storage shelves at all. Wow. Here I was worrying one time when my mom left the eggs out all night and she wanted to put the, in the fridge and eat them anyways. Now I'll be much more educated about it.

Well, the eggs are at least in their cartons next to the shelf, so there wouldn't be any ants or flies inside the store here. I'm sorry you have seen that though where you live. I didn't notice a change in the price, I think it was the same as any other store. I just would prefer they refrigerate them in general cause that's what I'm used to eating.