A mother's viral mini-egg Tiktok hack has been taking social media by storm and gained over 12 million views in a week after she showed an easy cooking tip for fried eggs for toddlers.
But while Alexandria Bewicke's easy breakfast tip has received praises on the internet, doctors have issued a warning against following the hack because it might lead to food poisoning.
Bewicke explained in her mini-egg Tiktok hack that she freezes the eggs overnight before popping these in the fryer for breakfast. She showed how she peeled and sliced the egg while frozen and then proceeded to fry them in the pan to become "cool mini-eggs."
The mom said that her toddler "absolutely loves" the mini-eggs and recorded the little girl clapping on the video as she had her breakfast. Many TikTok commenters said that they would follow the hack and thanked Bewicke for sharing her cooking idea.
A Food Safety Danger
But Dr. Whitney Casares of Modern Mommy Doc said that reheating frozen raw eggs increases the risk of food poisoning because the stove's temperature won't be enough to cook cold eggs properly. She said that this cooking tip might leave parts of the eggs raw and cause salmonella poisoning.
Registered dietician Sarah Krieger told Fox News that parents following the mini-egg Tiktok hack should be careful as young children should never eat undercooked eggs, as well as pregnant women and immune-compromised individuals regardless of their age.
Krieger said the egg yolk should ideally be cooked at 150°F while frozen eggs have to be cooked separately from raw eggs to lessen the risk of contamination.
The official site of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also advises against freezing an egg while still in its shell, as seen in the mini-egg Tiktok hack. Frozen raw eggs may expand and cause the shell to crack, allowing bacteria to seep through. Even hairline cracks are a food safety risk when it comes to eggs. The FDA added that the safest way to freeze an egg is to beat the yolks and white together or freeze just the white separately.
Salmonella Poisoning: What to Do
According to Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, about 50,000 cases of salmonella poisoning occur in the United States every year, and a significant percentage of the victims are kids below four years old.
Salmonella has different types of bacteria, but the most harmful form can cause typhoid fever. A child with salmonella poisoning will have abdominal cramps, diarrhea, headache, fever, vomiting, and nausea. The symptoms usually appear three days after the contamination.
While children with a strong immune system could weather the illness without medication, it's advisable to see a doctor immediately for a proper diagnosis and medication any time a fever breaks. The hospital also reminded parents not to serve undercooked eggs to children.
Meanwhile, Dr. Casares said that the mom who shared the mini-egg TikTok hack might have meant well, but social media users need to know that she is not a medical or nutrition professional, so her cooking tip could cause an unintended health consequence.
