Eggs are incredibly complex and fascinating little things! One of the functions of egg white is a buffer protecting the embryo against infection as it grows. There are many proteins inside eggs that deal with infections.
I recommend reading On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee. Chapter 2 is about 50 pages dedicated to eggs!
An old post but fresh news - NSW Food Authority has issued a warning about salmonella in eggs (not necessarly free range):
01 February 2019
The NSW Food Authority is urging people to check their kitchens for any eggs that are marked with the identifying stamp BEC or BEC115 because they may be contaminated with a particular type of Salmonella.
Full details here: http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/news/newsandmedia/departmental/2019-02-01-salmonella-warning-check-your-eggs
I hope that this kind of reporting has the desired effect of reducing risk to consumers by alerting them to specific cases of risky eggs and demonstrating that on the whole eggs are a pretty safe kind of food.
I trust we never get to the situation that seems prevalent in the USA that eggs must be cooked well or you will be poisoned. I cannot tell if this is a reflection on food handling failure in the country or an alarmist view that has spread through the populace.
I like fresh egg mayo. With garlic, heaven! I see friends and family enjoy runny eggs for breakfast. Little children dip their soldiers into soft eggs and smile.
I keep chooks so any problems in my house are my problem: there has never been one. Not everybody has that option but I wouldn’t want to see people buying supermarket eggs miss out on life’s simple pleasures for no good reason.
Victoria warns backyard poultry owners about salmonella risks.
It certainly makes the cold smoked raw eggs look good.
Another article regarding backyard chickens and salmonella.
