The Great Edible, Choke-able Egg

The Great Edible, Choke-able Egg

The American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement on Feb, 22, 2010 at 12:01am (ET).  "The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults."

The statement is entitled "New AAP Policy on Choking Prevention".   In their statement, they are pushing "recommendations for government agencies, manufacturers, parents, teachers, child care workers and health care professionals to help prevent choking among children."   Here are their guidelines that they suggest that Federal Government implement policies for.

1. Warning labels on foods that pose a high choking risk.
2. A recall of food products that pose a significant choking hazard.
3. The establishment of a nationwide food-related choking-incident surveillance and reporting system.
4. Food manufactures should design new food and redesign existing food to minimize choking risk
5. CPR and choking first aid should be thought to parents, teachers, and child car providers.

One of the foods that they say causes choking hazards is the Edible Egg, not to be confused with the non-edible eggs.   Following their guidelines, the Federal Government (HR BILL 37589372) has purposed the following regulations on Eggs, and on Egg growers (people who have chickens for eggs).

1. All eggs have to have a choking hazard label placed on them before they are sent to the public for sale as a food item.  This label will include English, Spanish, and visual warnings about the choking hazard that eggs pose.
2. All eggs currently in supermarkets will be recalled so that the warning label can be affixed to them, and their shape can be redesigned.  
3. The Federal Government over the next 10 years will make it mandatory that all eggs no longer have an egg shape, but a more friendly, non choking shape.  It is suggested that all eggs that are produced be the size of a pea so that they do not cause a choking hazard to anyone under the age of three.   They are going to use money that has already been set aside for green jobs.  These monies will be used to genetically enhance chickens so that they lay eggs in accordance to the new Federal Regulation.  Any chicken that is not able to follow the new regulations will not be allowed to produce eggs.
4. All eggs are now to be registered in the National Egg registry so that surveillance and reporting can be established to track choking related egg incidents.  Each egg will be required to be bar coded so that any egg can be found in the food supply chain at any time.  If an egg does choke someone, they will then be able to recall all eggs that were produced during the same time frame by the same egg grower.

Of course, this is not a true bill, but illustrates my point.   PARENTS need to be PARENTS.  Use common sense.  Don't let your kids eat hot dogs, toys, or coins that cause choking.  There does not need to be regulations, mandatory food changes made.  Just watch your kids, and don't feed them things that could cause a choking hazard.  According to their research, that includes peanut butter.   I am sorry, but putting a choking hazard label on foods, toys, coins, etc does not keep a three year old from putting them in their mouth.  I don't think there are may three year olds that can read well enough to understand a warning label about choking hazards.  AND PLEASE don't spend any of my money (tax money) coming up with studies, regulations, and programs to stop this growing problem.   We don't need the government telling us what shapes our food can be in, how big of pieces our food should be, etc...   PARENTS, use common sense, and teach your kids not to put things in their mouths.