Enlarge By Tim Loehrke, USA TODAY The folk wisdom about a good egg sinking in water and a bad egg floating refers to rotten eggs, not eggs contaminated with salmonella, and it's unclear whether it's even true for rotten eggs. HOW TO CHECK EGGS HOW TO CHECK EGGS Eggs affected by the recall are sold under the following brands: Albertson, Boomsma's, Dutch Farms, Farm Fresh, Hillandale, Kemps, Lucerne, Lund, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Shoreland, Sunshine and Trafficanda. The eggs are in cartons from plant numbers 1026, 1413 and 1946, with dates ranging from 136 to 225. Dates and codes can be found stamped on the end of the egg carton. The plant number begins with P, then the number. The date follows the plant number. For example: P-1946 223. FOLLOW @USATODAYHEALTH FOLLOW @USATODAYHEALTH A national outbreak of salmonella enteritidis linked to eggs from Wright County Egg in Galt, Iowa, has led to the recall of 380 million eggs. It's also raising concerns among many Americans about the safety of their eggs and in general how eggs should be dealt with. USA TODAY answers some of those questions: Q: How long should eggs be kept in the refrigerator? A; According to the American Egg Board, raw eggs in their shells in their cartons should keep four to five weeks from their packaging date in the refrigerator without significant loss of quality. The packaging date is typically listed as a "Julian date," meaning that Jan. 1 is 1 and Dec. 31 is 365. Q: What eggs have been recalled? A: Eggs affected by the recall are sold under the following brands: Albertson, Boomsma's, Dutch Farms, Farm Fresh, Hillandale, Kemps, Lucerne, Lund, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Shoreland, Sunshine and Trafficanda. SALMONELLA: CDC ups estimate of those sickened to more than 1,300 The eggs are in cartons from plant numbers 1026, 1413 and 1946, with dates ranging from 136 to 225. Dates and codes can be found stamped on the end of the egg carton. The plant number begins with P, then the number. The date follows the plant number. For example: P-1946 223. Q: What if I no longer have the carton my eggs came in, so I don't know if they were part of the recall. Is there any other way to tell if the eggs are safe? A: No. There's no way to tell from looking if an egg is contaminated with salmonella. The old folk wisdom about a good egg sinking in water and a bad egg floating refers to rotten eggs, not eggs contaminated with salmonella. And it's unclear if the folk wisdom is true anyway. Q: What should I do if I have eggs that have been recalled? A: Do not eat them! Take them back to the store where you bought them for a refund. Q: Does cooking kill salmonella? A: Yes, but if you've got potentially contaminated eggs you should still throw them out. In general, cooking does destroy contamination According to the CDC, to be safe, eggs should be cooked until both the white and the yolk are firm and eaten promptly after cooking. Sunnyside up eggs and even over-easy eggs, where the yolks are still liquid, indicate that the proper temperature has not been reached. Baking also kills bacteria and viruses. Q: What are the symptoms of salmonella enteritidis? A: According to the CDC, it usually causes fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea, beginning 12 to 72 hours after consuming a contaminated food or beverage. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days. Q: Do I need antibiotics? A: Most people recover without antibiotics. However, the diarrhea can be severe, and hospitalization may be required. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems can become seriously ill. Consult your health care provider. Q: Are there complications? A: In some people the infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. Q: Why is there salmonella in the egg supply? A: Salmonella exists in rodents and some insects, which can carry the bacteria into poultry houses, infecting flocks. Once a hen is infected, she can infect her eggs in one of two ways: The hen's stool is contaminated with salmonella, and when she lays her eggs stool can get on the eggs, contaminating their exterior. This is why eggs are always washed. However, with salmonella enteritidis, the infection can actually enter the hen's ovary, according to Christopher Braden an epidemiologist with the CDC. The egg yolk and white are infected before the shell is even formed, so the infection is on the inside and cannot be washed away. Q: How should eggs be stored? A: Eggs should be refrigerated at 45? F at all times. All cracked or dirty eggs should be discarded. Q: How should I handle eggs in the kitchen? A: The CDC recommends washing hands, cooking utensils, and food preparation surfaces with soap and water after contact with raw eggs. 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