Eggs

[Blackbird]

I'm sure that I read recently that eggs with the Lion mark are now salmonella free. I've tried to find the article again but I think I've thrown it away. I love cooking with my kids but I'm always reluctant to use recipes with eggs because it's impossible to stop them licking spoons etc. I've checked the egg boxes but it doesn't mention it.
Has anyone else read this or does anyone know if this is the case ?

Sainsburys have introduced salmonella free eggs, I think they are labelled.

My son is allergic to eggs, he develops a nasty rash wherever egg touches (raw or cooked). It is a bit of a disappointment in the quick meal department but a big worry re vaccinations, we have to spend the day in hospital for him to have his MMR in case he reacts to the egg the vaccines are cultured on.

If anyone has any more information on egg allergies I would love to hear it - do they grow out of it or is this for life?

yes I've read too that all eggs with the lion mark can be traced back to British hens who have been vaccinated against salmonella. Can't remember where either I'm afraid.

tesco's have the columbus eggs which have extra omega 3 (??) oils - which we need, apparently, and normally come mostly from oily fish and i bet the average toddler doesn't eat much of that!
and don't forget the iron; if they have orange juice with an egg it helps absorb it better, and if they don't eat much meat that's a bonus.

i'm sure they're much safer now than they used to be (eggs, not toddlers!). all in all a few eggs a week have to be better than none - except for the allergic - i know nothing about that, midge, sorry.

Dear Midge
My daughter was sensitive to eggs from first having one at approximately 8 months old. Because of this I researched much information into MMR and concluded that I didn't want her to have that vaccination at all. She has had the DPT fully, though, including a recent booster now she is 4 years old. When I reported her reaction to egg to my HV (like your child, it showed as a rash) she sent us to a dietitician at the hospital who, from a blood test, told us she was not allergic but had a sensitivity that she would probably grow out of. I tried egg occasionally as she got older and at about the age of 3 and a half, she was able to eat it with no reaction. I am still not having the MMR though as I found out too much against it.

Janh - also smoked mackerel as finger food....salmon made into fishcakes, tuna sarnies, my little one can't get enough oily fish and I'd be wary of an egg that said it had extra Omega 3 - how did it get there?

Cam, thanks for the info, I am going to pursue the dietician line, this hasnt been offered to me (yet), and the GP we saw (not our usual GP) said he didnt hold out much hope for him growing out of it.

I had arranged to have the MMR vaccines seperately and turned myself inside out over the issue, but for now I have decided to postpone any vaccination as there have been no outbreaks in the area. I do want my son vaccinated though as a member of the family nearly died from measles.

emmagee and suew - thanks for the fishy advice, i eat sardines and tuna meself and fortunately don't have a finicky toddler any more - just a finicky 8 yr old who would drop dead on the spot if i tried to make him eat oily fish or eggs - he is a craven worm!
good point about the omega 3 - i just had a look at the box and it says "naturally rich" in it...it has a website, www.columbuseggs.com, i may visit it. they are nice-tasting eggs though, and they do a free range one as well as a "caged" one, but i have had free range that tasted awful (because of what the freeranging hens were snacking on, presumably!) so against my better judgment i mostly stick to the caged...

Janh, I think they have fish oil added to their feed (this is the Columbus chickens, not toddlers). I have to say I tried the Columbus eggs and found them too fishy-tasting - and I like oily fish in its rightful place. Can I just add a tiny plea - please give organic, free-range eggs another try? Caged hens really do have a miserable existence. Stonegate Freeganic always taste great and are widely available: Waitrose's own organic eggs are also good. I take your point about what free-range hens might get up to - they traditionally live on the dung-heap I believe - but organically reared ones generally have a good diet.

marina, tesco's used to have grain-fed semi-free range - you know, where they are indoors-ish but wander about a bit? those were lovely and i never had to worry about dung, worms etc or pecked-off beaks. but as always happens when i like something, they were withdrawn...
i do get the columbus free-range too - i usually get one of each. will that do for now? we don't have waitrose up here (poor us) but if i see stonegate i'll give 'em a try!

My youngest developed an all-over rash at 6 months old. We put this down to her having eaten her first egg. We avoided egg products for some weeks, on the advice of GPs. We gradually re-introduced eggs and, luckily, now at the age of 2, she no longer reacts.

I also looked into the MMR subject and we decided, on balance, to go ahead with the injection and all seems well.

Can anyone adivse me please?

Can I give my 15 month old son runny boiled egg (with soldiers to dip in it, yummy!) or does it have to be cooked fully?

If it has the Lionmark on it you should be fine. Mine has been having egg and soldiers from about one year old.

thanks Rhubarb