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> For the other regulatory practices mentioned in the article, especially washing chicken carcasses, I'd like to see more detailed evidence of the safety trade-

by shabble 13y ago

> For the other regulatory practices mentioned in the article, especially washing chicken carcasses, I'd like to see more detailed evidence of the safety trade-offs involved in the practices of the United States and of Europe. There was the relatively recent story in Forbes[1] (HN comments at [2]) about the difference in US/UK treatment of eggs, where the UK standard is to leave them unwashed to protect a natural anti-microbial coating, and the US policy is to wash and artificially disinfect them (at the cost of removing the original coating) There are some similarities there, and I'm curious about whether the additional cleansing steps are necessary, or part of a process optimisation that allows for more variation in the cleanliness of incoming birds (ie: permitting a faster/messier slaughter or whatever) The alternative, that it's something like the ammonia used to kill dangerous pathogens in 'recovered meat', is (IMO) more of a concern. Purely speculation on my part though. [1] http://www.forbes.com/sites/nadiaarumugam/2012/10/25/why-american-eggs-would-be-illegal-in-a-british-supermarket-and-vice-versa/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/nadiaarumugam/2012/10/25/why-ame... [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5325540 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5325540

derekp7 13y ago
I'd lean more toward your second comment. One of the comments on the previous HN coverage inferred that leaving the eggs unwashed was so that dirty eggs would never make it to the consumer -- thereby encouraging farmers to keep a cleaner chicken coop.
tss20147 13y ago
This is going to be a bad post because I'm not where I can look up and provide links to the supporting material, but from what I recall the cleansing of eggs also had to with different egg distribution models between the US and UK.
- jpatokal 13y ago
  No, the different distribution model (refrigerated in the US, not so in the UK) is because washed eggs have to be kept cold, while unwashed eggs do not. As far as I can tell, the only reason for the US clean-disinfect-keep cold regime is that it ensures consumers get pretty-looking poop-free eggs -- and, as a not inconsequential byproduct, don't accidentally get bird poop and its assorted nasties into their food.

by shabble 13y ago

derekp7 13y ago

I'd lean more toward your second comment. One of the comments on the previous HN coverage inferred that leaving the eggs unwashed was so that dirty eggs would never make it to the consumer -- thereby encouraging farmers to keep a cleaner chicken coop.

tss20147 13y ago

This is going to be a bad post because I'm not where I can look up and provide links to the supporting material, but from what I recall the cleansing of eggs also had to with different egg distribution models between the US and UK.

jpatokal 13y ago
No, the different distribution model (refrigerated in the US, not so in the UK) is because washed eggs have to be kept cold, while unwashed eggs do not. As far as I can tell, the only reason for the US clean-disinfect-keep cold regime is that it ensures consumers get pretty-looking poop-free eggs -- and, as a not inconsequential byproduct, don't accidentally get bird poop and its assorted nasties into their food.