eggsOr so says well-known food author and journalist Michael Ruhlman.

Everyone's furiously checking their egg cartons this week after the egg recall has been expanded from 223 million to 380 million eggs due to the largest salmonella scare we've seen in years. Hundreds of people have been sickened and possibly more cases haven't been reported yet.

For a complete list of brands to check for contamination, click the link. But if you do, know that Ruhlman likely thinks less of you ...

He tweeted this morning:

 

michael ruhlman twitter

He is, of course, reminding us that salmonella and other diseases are the risks we take when we buy factory-farmed eggs.

And, David Kirby, writing for The Huffington Post, chimed in, too, saying that organic, humanely produced eggs are the better choice for our health. Some reports say the low-quality feed given to the hens in the Iowa factory was contaminated with salmonella -- which in turn infected the eggs and was passed along to humans. Kirby maintains that eggs raised in organic and/or sustainable conditions are less likely to carry diseases because the hens can peck outdoors for food or receive a high-quality feed.

Sure, organic eggs cost consumers more at the grocery store or farmers' market, but as he puts it:

What good is a 13-cent egg if it's going to get you hospitalized?

I see his point. I absolutely do.

But we're talking about an average of $4.99 for a carton of organic eggs versus an average of $2 for a carton of regular eggs. What are the chances that the average American family can afford to make the switch? Or will this recent salmonella scare be enough to convince them?

Are you buying the "wrong" eggs?

 

Image via clayirving/Flickr