Doing it right. Pre-Cracking Eggs to Reduce Cross-Contamination Risks

Seeing this pull-out refrigerated drawer full of pre-cracked eggs was a fabulous way to start this inspection. This practice let me know the facility had thought through the risks of salmonella cross-contamination with cooks cracking unpasteurized eggs to order and came up with a plan to reduce it. Bravo, Matt and crew!

If you are wondering about the risk, please read on. Raw eggs that are not pasteurized can

carry salmonella. When cooks are cracking eggs to order, the rule is to wash your hands afterward, each time. That is very challenging for a busy breakfast line cook.

By pre-cracking into ramekins, you virtually eliminate the risk of transferring any pathogens from the cooks' hands to the plates or any components to the plate the cook might handle afterward (toast, parsley, etc.).

Additionally, this is easier for the line cook and reduces the risk of a broken yolk. So, we have another win/win! Give it a try, I know you will love the convenience, and you'll be keeping your guests even safer.