Eggs

[Richard Myers]

Brother Clive, in Australia, you may not have the problem with eggs yet, but in the U.S. we do. The light we were given on eggs was many years ago. With the admonition to teach how to cook healthful food without the use of eggs and milk was the warning that "soon" animals would become so diseased that there would be no safety in using any animal product.

The reason for posting the info from the USDA was to help our people understand the day has come when the animals are so very sick that their milk and eggs are transmitting disease.

The original diet given to man is superior to any other diet. We must take great care in how we instruct others in regards to making changes and especially so when in areas where some foods may not be available at first. As an example a village on an island used pork as a staple and when it was removed from their diet they suffered. There needs to be provision made for replacement foods before such a step is taken. In the U.S. there is no problem in finding healthful foods.

[Richard Sherwin]

Richard how do you feel about eggs from chickens that are raised in a small flock by the end user? Like the family that has a backyard coop with half a dozen chickens? It would seem that if a person can control what their chickens eat the eggs would be that much safer.

Brother Sherwin

[Richard Myers]

Brother Sherwin, each individual will have to decide for themselves as to how much risk they wish to take. 150 years ago it was alright to use eggs from your own chickens, but today I don't think so. The light we have is very good. Beyond that, chickens like other animals are not protected by keeping them separate in a backyard. Even without the Bird Flu we have problems with birds. Consider what the birds eat, the water they drink, and their genetic makeup. Disease in the animal kingdom is spreading rapidly. Much of the bird flu seems to be spreading via migratory birds.

And...I think mosquitos spread disease to birds also. I like eggs, but have not had one for over twenty years. Do I miss them? No. I prefer mangos, cherries, and avocados.  

I also like fried and BBQ chicken, but like pork chops, ham, steak, lamb chops, and spare ribs and ice cream, I now eat things that God gave us prior to sin. I enjoy my new diet and feel that my life has been more enjoyable and longer than my father's because of my diet. My father died at age 39 from a heart attack.

I recently listened to testimonies regarding the health benefits of a strict vegetarian diet and am convinced that God's diet is far superior to what man eats today in most of the world. Did you know that bone mass can increase in women after menopause?  How? By eating a strict vegetarian diet and getting lots of exercise.

Long answer to a  simple question. Sorry.   But, I get excited when I consider the opportunity we have to help so many, especially the children.

Returning home a few days ago, I was sitting in the San Diego airport and watching a cute little todler playing with his mother. I prayed that somehow I could share with her the importance of eating a diet free of animal products. I really feel badly for parents who love their children and want to do the very best for them, but are hurting them so much with the milk and eggs.

God opened the way and the parents were very appreciative of the information I shared. They will begin a study on the safety of meat, milk, and eggs. I am so thankful that little Max will be given a chance to avoid the infectious diseases that are being transmitted through the animal products, cancer included.

[Clive Nevell]

I doubt if there is a problem in finding healthy foods to eat in Australia.

I am more concerned about the use of milk and how bad it is for a person. Even if it comes from healthy cows. Milk is just plain bad for people to use.

As much as possible I will use another type of milk instead of cows milk. Now I grew up on cows milk but then we did not know just how bad it was for human consumption.

I would not like to eat eggs from the shop. I just can't imagine them being at all healthy for you no matter how they were cooked.

When I was at home in Cooranbong Mum used to feed the hens weet-bix and corn meal which I was able to buy from the Factory there.

That was good food. Now the main problem with the food that is bought from the shop is that much of it has animal products in it.

One of our Church folk has a few hens and she is very particular as to what she feeds them.

I like what 3ABN says often, the diet they suggest is "plant based". It is not just vegetarian as that today does not mean it is healthy at all.

There are plenty of over weight vegetarians here that need to change the food they eat.

Clive

[Richard Myers]

Right on, Brother Clive. Being a strict vegetarian is not a cure all for our health problems. Eating too much of a good food will still kill us as will a sedentary life. Smoking and drugs can be seen in the life of strict vegetarians. And, there are many who do not know God who are strict vegetarians. A plant based diet is only a part of our health plan, but a very important one that will help protect us against the infectious diseases that are rampant in animals.

This article reveals what I was saying about bird flu. There are more than Seventh-day Adventists that see the danger in eating birds and their eggs.  Web India

[Mimi]

Recall -- Firm Press Release

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.
den Dulk Poultry Farms Voluntary Recall of Organic Eggs Due to Possible Health Risk

Contact:
den Dulk Poultry Farms
(209) 599 – 4269

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- March 20, 2009 -- den Dulk Poultry Farms of Ripon CA. is voluntarily recalling their Organic brown eggs as a precaution because the eggs have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

Salmonella is an organism, which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. For more information about salmonella, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website at www.cdc.gov.

The recalled eggs were distributed to Costco and Safeway in Northern California, as far South as Fresno, and in western Nevada.

Costco: The eggs are sold at Costco as Kirkland Organic Brown Eggs.  They are packaged in 18 count cartons. Expiration dates and plant code can be found on the end of the carton and are written as follows:

April 1 062   
   

April 8 069     

35 P1776
   

35 P1776

Safeway: The eggs are sold at 71 Safeway and Pack n’ Save stores as O Organic Grade A Large Brown Eggs.  They are packaged in one dozen (12 count) cartons. Expiration date and plant code can be found on the end of the carton and are written as follows:

April 1 062                                                                                                                                                             
35 P1776

No known illnesses have been reported to date in connection with these eggs.  The recall was initiated after it was determined that the eggs in question tested positive for Salmonella during an internal investigation by den Dulk Poultry Farms.

den Dulk Poultry Farms has informed the FDA of its actions and is fully cooperating with the Agency.

At den Dulk Poultry Farms, we take the safety of customers and the integrity of our products very seriously. Consumers who have purchased or are the recipients of these eggs are urged to return them to Costco or Safeway for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact den Dulk Poultry Farms (209) 599 – 4269 or the Safeway Consumer Service Center at 1 – 877 – Safeway (723 – 3929).  Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (PDT).

[Richard Sherwin]

I guess it's safe to say den Dulk Poultry Farms will have egg on their face eh?

(den Dulk sounds like a good Dutch name, they should be from from Western Michigan not CA)

[Lucia]

I would like to address a couple of issues I don't see covered in this thread as yet -
Re: using eggs from home-grown chickens
I have  raised my own chickens and for a time ate their eggs, but as I continued to study the subject eventually gave it up. I found that in my area it was not possible to get good chicken feed (everyone I know uses it at least with chicks, even the grown birds are just range-fed) that didn't have animal protein (read "rendered meat scraps") unless you got a custom mix and then you had to have a huge quantity mixed. This was not acceptable to me.

Re: cholesterol issues
Yes, this is a serious issue. When cholesterol (as in egg yolks) is prepared for food (eggs are usually heated because of salmonella and other disease issues in raw eggs) in any way (poached, scrambled, boiled, etc.) the cholesterol is exposed to air and becomes oxidized. Proof Positive, by Neil Nedley, has documentation on an excellent study that showed that cholesterol, when not exposed to air, does not cause damage to the arteries in the body (the only cholesterol that fits that description is made by your own liver from fat in your diet). Oxidized cholesterol, on the other hand, causes serious and permanent damage to your artery walls, greatly accelerating the process of atherosclerosis. We don't need that.

Re:animal protein
Even if you only use the egg white, which has no cholesterol, you still have the issue of animal protein. Animal protein creates several problems-
1-leaches calcium from the bones because of its acidity, leading to osteoporosis
2-it greatly promotes and accelerates the process of cancer development (for  excellent documentation on this, see The China Study, by T.Colin Campbell, chapter 3 on Cancer.)

Re: the times we live in
18MR, Pages 352-356
         No Safety in Eating Meat; Diseases Prevalent; Drawing Nigh to God
      (Written July 26, 1898, from Sydney, Australia, to Dr. J. H. Kellogg.)     
      The Lord would bring His people into a position where they will not touch nor taste the flesh of dead animals. Then let not these things be prescribed by any physician who has a knowledge of the truth for this time. There is no safety in eating the flesh of dead animals, and in a short time the milk of the cow will also be excluded from the diet of God's commandment- keeping people. In a short time it will not be safe to use anything that comes from the animal creation. Those who take God at His word and obey His commandments with the whole heart will be blessed. He will be their shield of protection. But the Lord will not be trifled with. Distrust, disobedience, and alienation from God's will and way will place the sinner in a position where the Lord cannot give him His divine favor.

Please note: I completely agree with Richard Myers that replacements must be found and implemented before dropping some of things from our diet - especially if we are in a position where a good variety of whole foods are not available. Having traveled widely and lived on at least 4 continents , I have found that is more often a matter of getting information and being educated on how to do it than a real inability to drop animal products from the diet.

Therefore, I would be happy to be a resource person for anyone who is wanting to move in the direction of dropping off animal products. I will be happy to talk about substitutes, other options for nutrition, and will share recipes.

God bless you all as you seek to follow His will more closely.

[colporteur]

There was a time when I ate everything and thought nothing about it.  A whole pan of bacon and 5-6 eggs was my grade A breakfast treat. Now I see the idea of eating what amounts to the embryonic/pre-embryonic fluid of a chicken as a little repulsive.

[Vicki]

There was a time when I ate everything and thought nothing about it.  A whole pan of bacon and 5-6 eggs was my grade A breakfast treat. Now I see the idea of eating what amounts to the embryonic/pre-embryonic fluid of a chicken as a little repulsive.

Our son has grown up in an egg-free home. It never dawned on me that he'd never seen anyone eat an egg. One hectic week we were feeding a worker who decided he must have eggs so he boiled himself up several, cracked one at the table and took a big bite out of it - our 4 year old's chin about hit the floor & his eyes bulged he was so shocked. The previous week he had seen dad clean up an old guinea hen nest of un-hatched eggs, cracking open a few bad ones so a stray cat could eat them. There is no doubt in my mind that he thought the worker had eaten a chick like he saw the cat do. I'll second your opinion that eggs really are quite repulsive whether they contain an un-hatched chick or embryonic fluid.

Nest story: While on vacation our flower garden water system developed a small leak and we had the biggest tumbleweeds I'd seen in years growing near the kitchen door. Husband went out to clear them away and discovered a guinea hen nest underneath, so left them until the eggs hatched and the little chickies could follow the group. I never could see the hen under there she was so well camoflaged, but she went to clucking when we got too close so we abandoned that entrance for awhile. We even got to hold one of the chicks the day they left the nest. What a great learning experience for a 4 yr old! (I liked it too!)

Question: I read somewhere that flaxseed boiled in water then strained makes the water gelatinous for binding flour to replace eggs in recipes. Anyone know the recipe proportions? Someday I'd like to try it in muffins since egg-less muffins are so dry. Or does anyone have a recipe for good muffins? (No soy or corn, please.)

[Lucia]

It helps to analyze a recipe where you want to replace the eggs to understand what the eggs are being used for in that particular recipe.

If the eggs are used for binding, here are some substitutions for 1 egg:
2 T. soy flour
1 1/2 t. Ener-G-Egg Replacer Powder (reconstitute according to directions)
You can also use either ground flaxseed or flaxseed gel (see following recipe):
FLAXSEED GEL
2   c. water
6   Tbs. flaxseed   

Bring to a boil for a minute. Strain. Cool and use as binding agent in roasts or other recipes. One quarter cup will bind like one egg white but has no leavening qualities.
Note: For binding purposes in roasts or patties 6 tablespoons of flaxseed meal may be blended in a cup of water. Use ¼ cup where an egg is required.
Makes 2 cups

If the eggs are also used for leavening (to make something light) Ener-G Egg Replacer works and sometimes Ener-G Baking Powder (just calcium carbonate and citric acid - nothing harmful in it) can be used. Follow the directions on the packages.

I do have a pretty good recipe for muffins - it uses Featherweight Baking Powder for leavening. If you are interested, please e-mail me.

Happy Cooking!

[Richard Myers]

We have moved the posts regarding baking soda to a new thread called Baking Soda and Baking Powder.

[Esther 7]

I had thought to raise my own eggs due to the economy, the health issues (even organic not being safe), and as a fun experience for my kids.

It's been anything but.

I've raised three sets of chicks now, and as of this evening every last one, except for one lucky/unlucky hen and three ducks, is dead by one means or another. I never have seen chickens die in so many gruesome ways. It's so sad and depressing. However, and I know this is going to sound "black helicopter" of me, I have to wonder if we aren't just at the point in time where God can't bless animal husbandry as He once might have, due to disease etc...

I went to campmeeting and for the last several weeks not a thing had happened to my poultry. I came back after four days and half were dead. I was going to put the other half in but fell asleep on the bed because I was so tired. I woke up and heard chirping, ran outside to find all of my babies dead and the hen and ducks not a little traumatized.

While at campmeeting I found and purchased the book "The China Syndrome" as mentioned in a post above, and had realized that any animal protein causes cancer, and at very low levels. So I was going to be wrestling with this issue once we returned anyway. It's rather strange it seems that now the subject is a non-issue now. (I'm going to give away the other poultry because I can't watch another chicken be savaged. They were sweet pets as well.)  It seems that there is no issue to wrestle with anymore and my way is clear to remove all animal protein from our diet. I just wish it had been a little less traumatic.

[Ed Sutton]

reading the topic I went on EGW folio views typed in 1902 eggs and got 7 hits .

The question had been when did she write such and such .

[Mimi]

228 million eggs recalled.

Health investigators across eight states reported hundreds of salmonella infections since May, prompting an initial recall of 228 million eggs last week. The number increased Wednesday to 380 million across Colorado, California, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

The eggs in question have been linked to Wright County Egg in Galt, Iowa.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/08/am_top_news_egg_recalls_increa.html


An Iowa company on Wednesday broadened a nationwide recall of its eggs to 380 million after some of its facilities were linked to an outbreak of salmonella that has sickened hundreds of people across the country.


The outbreak, which federal officials said was the largest of its type related to eggs in years, began in May, just weeks before new government safety rules went into effect that were intended to greatly reduce the risk of salmonella in eggs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/19/business/19eggs.html?_r=1&src=busln

[Richard Myers]

Most who eat eggs are not aware that chickens are infected with salmonella as are their eggs. It is not uncommon, but rather common.

[Immanuel]

It's now up to 380 million eggs. It appears as if this all originates from one facility. I do not understand how one facility can produce 380 million eggs. Anyone have any further info?

[Mimi]

The New York Times had this:

The company said the recalled eggs came from five plants and were distributed across the country under the brand names Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms, Kemps, James Farms, Glenview and Pacific Coast. (Dutch Farms said Wright County packaged eggs under its brand without permission.)


LA Times reported this:

Egg recall is still evolving. The numbers are likely to grow, officials say. The producer has a history of health violations.

Austin "Jack" DeCoster, Wright County Egg's owner, is well-known to agriculture regulators. His various farm operations have been cited for violations of immigration and environmental laws.

One of his operations reportedly paid a $2-million fine to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for workplace violations. They included unsanitary practices such as workers being told to use their bare hands to remove manure and carcasses.

In Ohio, DeCoster is an investor in the state's largest egg producer, Ohio Fresh Eggs, which has had a history of environmental violations. State officials reportedly said they would have denied Ohio Fresh Eggs operating permits had they known of DeCoster's involvement in the company.

Neither DeCoster nor the company could be reached for comment Thursday.


A document from Google books revealed this man's history compiled by an animal activist group:

Decoster History (violations)

[Mimi]

From "Fast Times" Blog ...

Salmonella Egg Recall Hits 380 Million Eggs - Company Owner Austin “Jack” DeCoster Has Long History Of Bad Business

Wright County Egg of Iowa just expanded its salmonella-related egg recall to 380 million eggs nationwide under a score of brand names and sizes.

All those eggs were produced in just a matter of months in five plants in Iowa.

Ponder that for a moment:  380 million eggs produced in a few months in only five factories.

Disgusting.  Federal investigators are looking into the cause of the outbreak, but whatever it is, it will be gross.  From David Kirby in The Huffington Post:

    The laying hens in question were raised (held prisoner is a more apt term) in Iowa, in a massive concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO), better known as a factory farm. In the typical egg-laying CAFO, hens are crammed into battery cages and given room to move in an area that’s roughly equivalent to a piece of typing paper.

    Cages are stacked one on top of the other, sometimes 10 or more high, inside large confinements that never see the light of day. Fresh air is pumped into one end, and air fouled with bacteria, viruses, mold, dust, antibiotics, litter and dander spits out the other.

But who is the evil industrial farming genius behind Wright County Egg?

Well, it is really anyone who eats cheap meat or eggs.  We create the problem.

But who is the actual villain, the guy who feeds our addiction to 13 cent eggs?

Meet Austin “Jack” DeCoster.  This guy has everything you could want as a poster boy for evil food.  He is shifty and reclusive.  He has a long history from Maine to Iowa.  And he’s not just about dirty eggs and torturing chickens.  Nope, he’s also about mistreating illegal immigrants and running bad hog farms!

From the New York Times:

    In 1997, one of his companies agreed to pay a $2 million fine by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for violations in the workplace and worker housing. Officials said workers were forced to handle manure and dead chickens with their bare hands and to live in trailers infested with rats. The labor secretary in the Clinton administration,Robert B. Reich, called Mr. DeCoster’s operation “an agricultural sweatshop.”

DeCoster has also been convicted on immigration charges, animal cruelty charges in Maine, and a court said he was only allowed to finance but not build “hog confinement” facilities for his son.

This is from an op-ed before the salmonella outbreak by Martha Rosenberg, blasting DeCoster for his Maine operations.

    Many remember the Turner raid last April when state officials and police troopers with a search warrant, some in HazMat suits, removed dead and living hens for evidence for eight full hours. Egg barns were so noxious with ammonia, four Department of Agriculture workers got sick themselves and were treated by doctors for burned lungs. OSHA launched an investigation — where were they before? — and state veterinarian Don Hoenig called the animal abuse “deplorable, horrifying and upsetting.”

    Officials had been tipped off by an undercover video shot by a humane investigator for Mercy For Animals depicting live hens suffocating in garbage cans, twirled by their necks in incomplete euthanasia, kicked into manure pits to drown and hanging by their feet over conveyer belts. Footage even shows the investigator, hired as an employee, pointing out the suffering animals to DeCoster’s son Jay who says to disregard it.

DeCoster once said he had a “master-servant” relationship with his employees, many of whom are illegal immigrants.  For a long list of DeCoster’s career of horrors, check out this document from Mercy For Animals - spreading pig manure all over Iowa, forcing workers to salvage eggs from a collapsed building and so on.  At one point, the Mexican government joined a suit against DeCoster, the plight of Mexican workers at his plants was so bad.

So if you are prone to dismiss this - to defend factory farming - then don’t go also defending the Arizona immigration laws.  Guys like DeCosta need the cheap labor.  They don’t want Americans.  And Americans don’t want their food prices to go up.

This is a bad guy with a bad company who is now making us sick with salmonella.  But he is still in business - and will probably continue to thrive - because of the American consumer’s desire for cheap protein.

[Immanuel]

Thanks for the info, Sybil. So five plants would make it 76 million per plant. If these eggs were produced over a 3 month span that would mean that almost 850 thousand eggs per day were being produced by each plant. That's more than one egg, per plant, per day, for every person living in the city of San Francisco. No wonder the eggs were tainted in such a mass production system.

"Tell them that the time will soon come when there will be no safety in using eggs, milk, cream, or butter, because disease in animals is increasing in proportion to the increase of wickedness among men." - 7T 135

Can anyone question that the time has come?