Producers look into pasteurizing eggs.

A new pasteurization process that uses hot baths to kill bacteria means supermarkets can stock eggs that are safe to eat raw. An estimated one in every 20,000 eggs is infected with salmonella enteritidis, a significant source of food poisoning since the 1980s that can cause diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, headache, nausea and vomiting. It is estimated that 300,000 people fall ill each year. USDA estimates Americans eat undercooked eggs 20 times a year. Pasteurized eggs are to go on sale this spring in several eastern grocery chains as soon as sterilization equipment is delivered to suppliers. The cost for the new process will be passed onto the consumer, increasing the price of one dozen eggs by approximately 36 cents. The eggs will be marked with the USDA seal verifying sterilization.