Under The Angsana Tree: Should eggs be stored in the fridge?

Where EGGSACTLY do eggs belong?

If you grew up somewhere in the U.K. or Europe, you might answer “countertop,” but if you grew up in the US, you probably said “the fridge!” So who’s right?

Why Americans choose to chill. Most Americans automatically refrigerate eggs, and there’s a good EGGSplanation. Statistics supplied by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) show that about 142,000 illnesses each year are attributed to consuming eggs with Salmonella. American chicken farmers are not required by law to vaccinate their hens against Salmonella; consequently, only about one third of all farmers choose to vaccinate. The best way to prevent this food-borne illness is by refrigerating the eggs. In a carton in the fridge, eggs should safely last four to five weeks without a noticeable decrease in quality – according to recommendations by the American Egg Board. (Read How Old are Your Eggs.) Another factor in the fridge EGGSplanation is that washing eggs is a standard American practice – which seems logical. After all, Salmonella is spread EGGSternally by poop on the outside of the egg or internally through an infected hen’s reproductive system. Once washed, American eggs are stripped of their natural protection. When a hen lays an egg, she coats it with a layer of liquid – the cuticle – that dries quickly and serves as an effective barrier to possible contaminants (like Samonella.) Vulnerable, washed eggs need to be refrigerated.
Why the Brits (and others) don’t. British law requires that all hens be vaccinated against Salmonella thanks in part to an egg scare in 1988. Since then, the Department of Health has taken precautionary measures to prevent another Salmonella outbreak. And many European countries have adopted similar standards. Additionally, washing eggs is illegal in many European countries, and their E.U. egg regulations recognize an egg’s natural cuticle’s ability to keep bacteria from getting in through the shell. So now you know why it’s common to see eggs stored at room temperature in grocery stores in the U.K., France, Germany, Switzerland and many other countries.

Peaceful Co-Eggsistence. In the end, washed eggs from unvaccinated chickens should be refrigerated. (The Americans are right!) And unwashed eggs from vaccinated chickens can be stored safely on the countertop for at least a week and in the refrigerator several weeks longer. (Everyone else is right, too!) You could also choose to purchase our eggs at the Reedy Fork Farm Store, from Deep Roots Market or Weaver Streets Market. (Viva la choice! That’s the American way, right?)

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Should You Refrigerate Eggs?

Many Americans are shocked to enter a European supermarket and find that eggs are stored outside of the fridge. This is because authorities in most European countries say refrigerating eggs isn't necessary. But in the US, it is considered unsafe to store eggs at room temperature. This leads some people to believe that Americans are overly cautious when it comes to egg storage, while others believe Europeans are too relaxed. So who is right? As it turns out, both are.

Eggs Should Be Refrigerated in the US:

In the US, Salmonella is mostly treated externally. Before eggs are sold, they go through a sterilization process.
They are washed in hot, soapy water and sprayed with a disinfectant, killing any bacteria that might be on the shell.
A handful of other countries, including Australia, Japan and Scandinavian countries, treat eggs the same way.
This method is highly effective at killing the bacteria found on egg shells. Unfortunately, it does nothing to kill bacteria that may already be present inside of the egg, which is often what makes people sick.

Eggs Don't Have to Be Refrigerated in Europe:

Many European countries do not refrigerate their eggs, even though they experienced the same epidemic of Salmonella cases in the 1980s.
While the US chose to control Salmonella contamination through egg washing and refrigeration, many countries in Europe have chosen to improve sanitation and vaccinate hens against Salmonella, preventing infection in the first place .
The UK is a shining example of this. After a mandatory campaign to vaccinate all egg-laying hens against the most common strain of Salmonella, the number of Salmonella cases in the country dropped to the lowest level in decades.
Contrary to the US, washing and disinfecting eggs is illegal in the EU (Sweden and the Netherlands are exceptions

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Should eggs be stored the fridge?

Although fridges come with an egg tray, I read somewhere that putting eggs into the fridge actually makes them degenerate quicker - something to do with the cold and pressure change encouraging air into the shell. Can anyone enlighten me?

Neil Storer, London, UK - My microbiology lecturer at university was quite anti egg refrigeration. He claimed that if the egg was cracked into a frying pan straight from the fridge and cooked until it looked OK, the yolk would only be blood warm and since the yolks at that time were sometimes contaminated by salmonella, this could be harmful.
C Partridge, Manchester UK - Eggs will last longer in the fridge, provided you don't put them in the door. The cold does make them last, but constant changes in temperature can make them go off quicker. They should be kept nearer the back of the fridge, where the temperature is more constant. For cooking, its better to use room temperature eggs, so get them out in good time.
Lizzie, London - I don''t know about degeneration but I know that the yolks of refrigerated eggs are more likely to break when you put them in the frying pan as the change in temperature is more severe.
James Hamling, London England - I don't know about whether they degenerate quicker in the fridge, but it does make them more difficult to cook. A 3 minute egg for example, is cooked for three minutes providing that the egg starts at room temperature. If it has been kept in the fridge, a 3 minute egg would turn out to be far too runny.
Seth, Edinburgh Scotland - Eggs should be stored in the fridge. They are not stored in the fridge in shops because they would amass condensation on your way home and this is what will encourage contamination through the shell.
John Davis, Otley West Yorkshire - How do you like your eggs? Well, how you store them makes a difference. Eggs left out on the counter don't last very long (a couple of weeks if kept cool), but they maintain a fairly high level of quality until they "go off". Eggs stored in the refirgerator remain edible for a long time, but the quality deteriorates quite quickly. And frozen eggs are edible for years after they are laid, but you might as well eat shoe leather!
Paul, Minneapolis USA - Eggs should be kept in a fridge as they need a constant temperature. The fridge is the only place in the kitchen that you can guarantee this. If you can maintain a constant temperature elsewhere in the kitchen then you could keep the eggs there.
Chris, Oxford UK - Wherever the supermarket/corner store had the eggs stored when you bought them is the best place to store them when you get home, they obviously know how to store food. Most supermarkets I've been in have eggs stored in a fridge/chiller.
Gary Byrne, Dublin Ireland - I have used supermarkets in many parts of the world and have yet to see one where the eggs are stocked in a chilled condition. My tour of Ireland occurred in 1993 so I have forgotten my experience there.
Jack Hill, St Albans England - If the same-temperature rule applies, then I would suggest they are stored at room temperature. I know of no major supermarket chain in the UK that displays eggs in a chiller.
Harry Winckworth, Swindon UK - I've also used supermarkets in a number of countries. Some chill the eggs, some do not.
Kevin, Fort Collins, Colorado USA - A recent TV program gave a chef's reason for NOT keeping them in a fridge was because egg shells are porous, and the eggs would absorb food smells from the fridge contents
John cammish, london UK - Eggs have to be stored at less than 20 degrees centigrade. Most supermarkets keep their selling space well below this temperature. However, at home, the easiest way to do this is to keeps the eggs in the fridge.
John dumbrell, Rilhac Treignac, France - An egg kept in the fridge is more likely to "go off" as the porous shell will allow water to be absorbed. I have been led to believe that it is this water absorbtion that actually makes the egg inedible.
Dom, Cirencester, UK - If you buy your eggs in small quantities (half dozen say) at a time then the argument as to where to store them doesn't arise. We get through 1/2 doz a week and keep them out of the fridge.

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So should you keep eggs in the fridge? Scientists crack the age-old argument over whether chilled or room temperature is best

There are two types of people in the world: those who keep their eggs in the fridge and those who think room temperature is best. Each camp is convinced of its own common sense — and regards the other lot as cracked.

The controversy has raged for years and has recently been whisked up once again by a survey that found Britons are the least likely people in Europe to store eggs in the fridge. Now the Daily Mail has commissioned a scientific study to provide the definitive answer to this vexed question. The answer may surprise you. But first let’s remind ourselves of the arguments on both sides of the debate.

On one side are those who think that unless eggs are put in the fridge — which has a plastic rack for the purpose — there is a risk of food poisoning. The anti-fridge brigade points out that our supermarkets keep eggs in the middle of the aisle, completely non-refrigerated.

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NOT A YOLK This is the disgusting reason why you shouldn’t store eggs in the fridge door

The egg rack in your fridge door might seem like the perfect place to store your eggs - but don't be fooled. Keeping eggs in the fridge door's egg rack is more likely to make them turn rotten

The debate about 'fridge or cupboard' has been raging for decades, but there is actually a horrible reason for not storing your eggs in the special egg rack in the fridge door. Plenty of people believe that eggs should be keep in a cool and dry cupboard rather than the fridge, but according to a storage expert, the fridge is the best place for them.

The fridge vs cupboard debate has finally been given a definitive answer - but there's a catch. But where you place them in the fridge is crucial. Vlatka Lake from Space Station says that the worst place to put eggs is in the plastic egg rack that is either built in, or comes as an insert with fridges. She says that by placing the eggs in the door of the fridge they will be subjected to a series of sudden temperature changes as the door opens and closes, and that makes them go rotten quicker than if they were kept at just one temperature.

"When it comes to eggs, there is a huge debate on where they should be kept, with some saying in the fridge and others saying on the counter," she said. "The general consensus is to store eggs in the fridge, but not in the egg racks commonly found on the fridge door. "Egg racks are susceptible to changes in temperature due to the fridge door opening and closing and can cause your eggs to go rotten more quickly."

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What is the best way to wash and store my eggs?

Commercial eggs must be sanitized because they are often laid on top of feces --- or even worse

It's counter-intuitive but true: Your eggs will stay fresher if you don't wash them at all. When your hens lay eggs, there is a natural coating that is laid on top called the "bloom" that helps keep out bacteria. When you wash eggs, you drive some bacteria in through the pores of the shell, so it's a bad idea to do so as a general practice. If your nests are clean, your eggs should be clean. In fact, fresh eggs don't really even need to be refrigerated if they're going to be used soon. They can be kept at room temperature, although refrigeration will keep them fresher longer. (We always refrigerate our eggs--it just makes sense to keep them as fresh as possible!) Store them large end up.

A hen lays an egg a day, and after 10 or 12 days or so, she has gathered a clutch together and will begin sitting on them to hatch them. The first egg she laid has been sitting in the nest for two weeks or so, but is still good enough to turn into a baby chick! If your eggs are as soiled as that for some reason, some people recommend you use sand, sanding sponges or sandpaper to carefully buff off the dirt... but it's really best not to wash them in water as that can spread the bacteria to the inside the eggshell. If you are determined to wash your eggs no matter what, your solution should be slightly warmer than the egg you are washing to reduce the amount of bacteria you are driving in (as the egg cools, what is on the shell will be drawn inside, and if you have removed the bloom, the bacteria will enter). It seems like a waste, but if an egg is very soiled or caked with more than just surface dirt, sometimes it's not a bad idea just to toss it out.

Keep in mind that if you are consistently getting very soiled eggs, you should consider changing your flock management practices. Check to see if someone is ill, and that's causing loose droppings. Determine if your hens are sleeping in the nest boxes (and pooping there!) rather than on their roosts. Maybe you will need to change the height of the nests or the roosts, or darken the nests so they will be less inclined to do anything in there other than lay eggs.

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Why Eggs Should Not Be Kept In The Fridge

It has been a habit over the years to store chicken eggs in the refrigerator. This movement first started in the US and then moved on to many countries, including India. If you take a look at any refrigerator, you will notice a separate area only for storing eggs. Well today, scientists claim to say storing chicken eggs in the fridge is not healthy and the reasons for this new study will shock you out of your wits. It is common knowledge that the main reason why most of us store the eggs in the fridge is to help reduce salmonella risk.

Alongside this, storing the eggs under cold temperatures will also help to decrease the food poisoning and hence improve the taste of the egg as well. Here are some of the other reasons why it is not necessary to store eggs in the fridge. You might want to take a look: Room Temperature Eggs Are Good For Baking - For those who love to bake, using temperature stored eggs are simply the best when compared to refrigerated ones. The reason is because cold egg whites don't whip as well as the room temperature ones, thus resulting in a dense cake.

Doesn't Rot - It is recently noted that room temperature eggs don't rot fast when compared to the ones stored in cold degrees. Eggs seem to curdle up when removed to use from extreme low temperatures, which is why it is best for you to avoid storing eggs in the fridge. Bacteria On The Shell - According to European egg marketing regulations, they state that storing eggs in cold storage and then leaving them out at room temperature could lead to condensation, which could promote the growth of bacteria on the shell that could probably get into the egg as well which is therefore unhealthy to consume. If The Egg Contains The Cuticle -If the eggs are very fresh, and If their cuticle is intact, you do not have to refrigerate them.

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Here is why you should not keep eggs in fridge!

All of us have been storing chicken eggs in the fridge for our entire lives and why shouldn’t we? Even our refrigerators come with a separate area for storing eggs. But, you must now think twice before doing so because a new study claims that storing chicken eggs in a fridge is unhealthy. And, the reason may surprise you. But, before we move on to that let’s see why we have been storing them in the fridge. Storing eggs in the fridge saves us from the risk of food poisoning. Besides, salmonella will not multiply in the fridge. It's also more convenient to store eggs inside a refrigerator.

Here is why we don’t need to store eggs in the fridge:

Room temperature eggs are good for baking - Do you love baking? Well, then, using temperature-stored eggs are much better than refrigerated ones because cold whites do not whip as well as those stored in the room temperature do.
They don’t rot - Eggs kept at room temperature don't rot fast as compared with the ones stored in a refrigerator. Eggs seem to turn out sour when removed from extreme cold temperatures.
Bacteria on the shell - It has been observed that storing eggs in cool temperatures and then leaving them out at room temperature could cause condensation, promoting the growth of bacteria on the shell that could probably get into the egg as well, which can thereby become unhealthy for consumption.
Eggs containing the cuticle - You don’t have to refrigerate fresh eggs that have their cuticle intact.
The infected ones - If you suspect that an egg is infected with salmonella, storing at room temperature with other eggs could infect the other eggs with the bacteria as well. Hence, it is best to store egg in the refrigerator in order to kill the bacteria.

No matter if the shelf life for an unrefrigerated egg is 7 to 10 days or the lifespan is 30 to 45 days for refrigerated eggs, it's best to consume eggs within a couple of days.

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Should eggs be stored in the fridge? The Answer

REMEMBER MONDAY’S BURNING Question on TheJournal.ie? In our weekly fun poll, we asked you whether eggs should be stored in the fridge or at room temperature at home.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland came back to us with a definitive response:

Eggs should be kept at temperatures below 20 degrees Celsius and it’s important that the temperature they’re stored at doesn’t fluctuate too much. The reason for this is if the storage temperature fluctuates quite widely, this can affect the shelf-life and quality of the eggs. They should also be stored upright to protect the air sac.
As shops generally operate within a controlled temperature/environment, refrigeration is not necessary and as this is not a food safety matter, storage at the shop’s ambient temperature is considered to be acceptable.
The situation changes when the consumer brings the eggs home, as the temperature may vary dramatically and may not be consistent in the home environment. Therefore, it is advisable that the eggs are stored in a fridge, either in the egg box or the designated shelf storage designed for eggs, to ensure they are stored at a constant temperature.

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Egg safety - what, why and how

Eggs – they’re a great source of protein, make yummy breakfasts and are useful for baking, but when it comes to egg safety, there can be confusion. Keep them in the fridge or on the shelf? Wash or don’t wash? Are foods containing raw eggs alright to eat? We’ve got the low-down on egg safety and how you can keep nasty bugs like salmonella at bay while enjoying your favourite eggy foods.

Why can eggs be unsafe to eat? While eggs contain great nutrients like vitamin b12, vitamin D and amino acids, they can also contain salmonella, a naturally occurring bacteria which causes gastroenteritis in humans.

Commonly known as gastro or food poisoning, gastroenteritis can cause vomiting and diarrhoea in humans. Infections can lead to severe illness or death in at-risk people including pregnant women, young children, older adults and people with a weakened immune system. There’s no way to tell if an egg contains salmonella. It won’t look or smell any different from a non-infected egg. But, you can follow the steps listed below to reduce your risk of salmonella infection.

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EGG STORAGE: HOW LONG DO EGGS LAST?

“How long can you keep eggs” is the question people always ask. Eggs are perishable and must be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Many factors can affect how long eggs last. When properly handled and stored, eggs rarely spoil. However, if you keep them too long, they are likely to dry up. These fresh egg storage tips below help you learn how to properly store eggs to last.

Refrigerator Storage: Refrigerate eggs at 40°F or less. Store them in their original carton on an inside shelf and away from pungent foods. The temperature on an inside shelf remains more constant than one on the door, which is opened and closed frequently. The carton keeps the eggs from picking up odors or flavors from other foods and helps prevent moisture loss.

Raw eggs that have been removed from their shells should be refrigerated in a tightly covered container. Refrigerated whole egg yolks should be covered with water to prevent them from drying out; drain before using. The following chart shows how long hard-boiled eggs and raw eggs last when stored in the refrigerator.

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Fridge or cupboard? Queensland Health unwittingly sparks fervent debate over egg storage

When it comes to egg storage, Australians are apparently either fervently in one corner or the other — and never the twain shall meet. In the wake of Cyclone Debbie, Queensland’s health department unwittingly sparked the polarising debate, when, during ongoing power outages in the state’s north, it offered advice on the lifespan of unrefrigerated food. The advice to throw eggs out after just four hours without electricity was met with immediate incredulity.

One person commented: “Why are there eggs there? Ours do fine in the cupboard without power,” which gathered 42 likes from people who apparently do the same and a string of responses. “Who the hell keeps eggs in the cupboard? Bet you keep sauce in the fridge too,” came one reply. “I learnt — from a Jaimie (sic) Oliver food course — that it’s absolutely OK to keep them out and it’s better for cooking to be room temp (sic),” came another view.

And so it continued thus. It prompted a Queensland Health intervention to settle the debate once and for all. Or did they?

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Why The U.S. Chills Its Eggs And Most Of The World Doesn't

To refrigerate or not to refrigerate? It boils down to bacteria, aesthetics and how much energy you're willing to use

Go in search of eggs in most foreign countries and you might encounter a strange scene: eggs on a shelf or out in the open air, nowhere near a refrigerator. Shock and confusion may ensue. What are they doing there? And are they safe to eat?

We Americans, along with the Japanese, Australians and Scandinavians, tend to be squeamish about our chicken eggs, so we bathe them and then have to refrigerate them. But we're oddballs. Most other countries don't mind letting unwashed eggs sit next to bread or onions.

The difference boils down to two key things: how to go after bacteria that could contaminate them, and how much energy we're willing to use in the name of safe eggs.

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Why Europeans Don't Refrigerate Eggs But Americans Do

In the UK, eggs are typically not refrigerated

British supermarkets don't refrigerate eggs. It's not unusual to find stacks of egg cartons sitting alongside canned beans, boxes of dry cake mix, or other traditionally nonperishable foods. This is unlike the US, where eggs are found in the refrigerated dairy aisle with the butter, cheeses, and milk. The difference is linked to the way that eggs are farmed and processed in the US compared with in the UK and other European nations.

In the US, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires that eggs destined for supermarket shelves — called graded eggs — are washed and sprayed with a chemical sanitiser before they are sold to the public to reduce the risk of salmonella infection.

In the UK, Grade A hen eggs may not be washed because the process is thought to "aid the transfer of harmful bacteria like salmonella from the outside to the inside of the egg," according to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Forbes contributor Nadia Arumugam has previously noted that USDA graded eggs could not be legally sold in the UK (and the other way around) because of these different preparation methods.

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Here's why you have to refrigerate eggs in the U.S. but not in Europe

Eggs being cleaned at a plant in the United States. (Don Emmert / AFP / Getty Images)

Europeans store their eggs at room temperature, while Americans refrigerate them. This is something that inspires some American tourists on their return home to adapt a more Continental attitude to the storage of eggs. Bad idea. Though keeping eggs at room temperature is a perfectly good idea in Europe, because of differences in production practices, it can be very dangerous in the U.S. The reason comes down to how we treat one simple, very insidious little bug, salmonella, which can cause extreme digestive distress and even prove fatal. Salmonella can be introduced in two ways -- from outside the egg (as a result of contact with organic matter such as chicken manure) and from within (from the hen to the egg before it has been laid). According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there are more than 140,000 cases of salmonella poisoning from eggs in the United States every year. It is so prevalent that it has been called a "national epidemic." And when eggs are left at room temperature, salmonella can multiply quite rapidly, reaching dangerous levels within a matter of weeks.

American egg producers focus on preventing contamination from the outside, so they are required by the USDA to thoroughly wash the eggs before they go to market. They're rinsed in hot water, dried and sprayed with a chlorine mist almost as soon as they're laid. Europeans take a different approach. In the United Kingdom, for example, producers instead vaccinate laying hens to prevent the transmission of salmonella. They then rely on a thin, naturally occurring coating called the cuticle, to prevent any contamination from the outside of the shell penetrating to the egg. British authorities actually discourage refrigerating eggs on the theory that chilling and then warming could create condensation, which would allow salmonella to penetrate the shell.

In the U.S., this cuticle is removed during washing and even though some producers replace it with a light synthetic coating, regulations still require refrigeration. We may gradually be moving in the European direction, though. Immunization against salmonella has dramatically reduced the number of cases in the United Kingdom in 20 years, and after a particularly nasty salmonella outbreak in 2010, more American egg producers are starting to do this. And, of course, there are no regulations regarding eggs produced by backyard flocks. In the meantime, is there any harm in refrigerating eggs? Not really. There are those who argue that refrigeration thins the white. And certainly, storing eggs in a closed refrigerator along with strong-scented foods for too long will result in them picking up flavors.

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Why American Eggs Would Be Illegal In A British Supermarket, And Vice Versa

You like potato and I like potahto, You like tomato and I like tomahto, You like egg and I like, um, egg. Ok, that’s not how the song goes, but it gets my point across.

We might pronounce them differently but one would imagine that eggs on either side of the Atlantic are the same. Of course, technically they are. They all contain whites, and yolks and are enveloped in thin, brittle shells. But, as for how they are processed after they hit the ground, now that’s where the differences come in.

Believe it or not, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) graded eggs would be illegal if sold in the UK, or indeed anywhere in the European Union (EU). It’s all to do with the fact that commercial American eggs are federally required to be washed and sanitized before they reach the consumer. EU egg marketing laws, on the other hand, state that Class A eggs – those found on supermarkets shelves, must not be washed, or cleaned in any way.

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Why Americans refrigerate their eggs but Europeans don't

In America, fresh eggs are kept in the refrigerator

British supermarkets don't refrigerate eggs. You'll find them sitting alongside canned beans, boxes of dry cake mix, and other nonperishable foods. This is different from the US, where eggs are found in the refrigerated dairy aisle alongside butter, cheese, and milk. The different storage conditions are a result of the way that eggs are farmed and processed in the US compared with in the UK and other European nations.

In the US, to reduce the risk of salmonella infection, eggs are washed and sprayed with a chemical sanitiser before they are sold to the public. Clean eggs are kept at cooler temperatures to prevent the eggs from deteriorating as quickly and to keep the growth of bacteria in check.

Europe takes a different approach to prevent salmonella contamination. Eggs are not washed and therefore are not required to be chilled, since the "priority in egg production is to produce clean eggs at the point of collection, rather than trying to clean them afterwards," according to food-safety officials in Ireland. This is done through "good management and hygiene of the poultry house," authorities say.

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Why the British Don't Refrigerate Eggs

If you've ever been to a supermarket in the UK, you were probably surprised (if not a little grossed out) to see stacks of eggs hanging out with nary a refrigerated one in site. As it turns out, we might actually be the crazy ones. Business Insider did some research on the conundrum, and interestingly enough, British eggs aren't supposed to be refrigerated because they're not washed. As BI explains:

In the U.S., the Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires that eggs destined to be sold on supermarket shelves — called graded eggs — are washed and sprayed with a chemical sanitizer before they are sold to the public to reduce the risk of salmonella infection.
In the U.K., Grade A hen eggs may not be washed because the process is thought to "aid the transfer of harmful bacteria like salmonella from the outside to the inside of the egg," according to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. In fact, Forbes contributor Nadia Arumugam pointed out that USDA graded eggs could not be legally sold in the U.K. (and the other way around) due to these different preparation methods.

So what does all that have to do with refrigeration? Since the US generally uses factory farm environments to raise our chickens, our eggs are far more susceptible to salmonella contamination. Which means that washing the eggs is absolutely imperative. In the UK, though, farmers prioritize producing "clean eggs at the point of collection, rather than trying to clean them afterwards." But as BI notes, "scientists have found that the washing process may damage an outside layer of the egg shell known as the cuticle," which would make it easier for bacteria to sneak inside. The cooler temperatures of a refrigerator, though, help prevent eggs from deteriorating quite so fast. BI goes on to explain why salmonella just isn't as big of a problem in the UK as it is in the US. The whole report is fascinating, though, and you can read it in full over at Business Insider here.

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Why Are American Eggs Illegal In Britain and British Eggs Illegal In America?

It all comes down to the debate over whether or not it’s a good idea to wash eggs before putting them on the shelves. In the United States, USDA standards require that all eggs must be washed before being sold to consumers. The standards specify that American eggs must be washed with an odorless detergent and water that is at least 90°F and a minimum of 20°F warmer than the internal temperature of the egg. The eggs must then be thoroughly dried. This last step is where a lot of the controversy arises. A completely dry egg is almost completely impervious to bacteria, but even a thin layer of moisture facilitates the flow of bacteria into the egg.

Health officials in Europe are worried that washing eggs may do more harm than good, fearing that the drying process won’t be meticulously carried out every single time. They also fear the possibility that some eggs could end up soaking in cold sanitizing water that hasn’t been changed out in a while. Cold water causes eggs to contract inwards- this contraction pulls liquid from the shell’s surroundings into its interior. If this liquid happens to be old, cold water, there is a high chance it contains bacteria. Then there’s a little something known as the cuticle. As a hen is laying an egg, she applies a thin, mucous-like coating to the outside of the shell. It is wet for the first few minutes, but it quickly dries and creates a protective layer that keeps out carbon dioxide and moisture which can spoil and contaminate the egg. The EU’s egg regulators say that the egg’s natural cuticle provides, “an effective barrier to bacterial ingress with an array of antimicrobial properties.”

This is one of the main reasons why they oppose the washing of eggs, which often removes part or all of the cuticle layer. Finally, there’s the issue of refrigeration. In Europe eggs are on non-refrigerated shelves and stay close to room temperature from the time they are collected to the time they are bought and consumed. This is because when you take a cold, refrigerated egg out into warmer air, moisture in the air condenses on it. According to the EU regulations, this facilitates the growth bacteria both outside and inside the shell.

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Why American eggs would be ILLEGAL to sell in the UK ... and vice versa

If you've ever compared store-bought eggs in the U.S. with those in the UK, you'll have noticed a few very significant differences in taste, color and quality. This is due to the differing ways the eggs are farmed, stored and treated in the two countries - techniques so contrasting that eggs from the UK would actually be considered illegal if they were sold in America, and vice versa.

UK eggs, for instance - which typically have more orange yolks than their American counterparts - are stored at room temperature, while those in the U.S. are required by law to be stored at lower than 45 degrees Fahrenheit in order to prevent the risk of Salmonella spreading. British grocery stores and households do not refrigerate their eggs because 90per cent of store-bought eggs in the UK come from hens that have been vaccinated for salmonella.

This practice of farmers vaccinating their hens came about after an outbreak in the Nineties; since then, salmonella in the UK has been virtually wiped out. What's more, British food regulators cite the fact that refrigerating eggs before a consumer buys them leads to a temperature change during transportation that can cause moisture to collect, making the eggs more vulnerable to harmful bacteria.

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Why English Eggs Are Way Different From American Ones

While English food typically gets a bad rap, there are certain things that the English do really well when it comes to eating and drinking. They invented the Scotch Egg, they eat a lot of pie and they’ve made drinking outside part of their daily routine. London is home to some of the best restaurants in the world, other countries — especially our own — are imitating the English gastropub at every turn, and hearty, simple fare à la the English Sunday Roast is more fashionable than ever. More and more, the reputation of bad English food is unfair and outdated. One basic, important food that the English do right is eggs. English eggs look and taste very different from American ones. The yolks are more orange and they taste slightly richer. They also taste fresher and more flavorful than your average American factory farm egg. (We’re not talking free range, organic eggs, but the kind that come from chickens stacked in tiny cages.) English eggs are so different than American ones that American eggs would actually be illegal in the UK — or anywhere in the EU — and vice versa.

The first distinction is that in the U.S., eggs must be washed in order to be sold commercially. In the UK, however, Grade A eggs — the kind sold in supermarkets — must not be cleaned. This is why you might purchase eggs with a little bit of grit and even an occasional feather when you’re in the UK. The idea behind the no-wash mandate is that it will encourage good cultivation on farms. “It’s in the farmers’ best interests then to produce the cleanest eggs possible, as no one is going to buy their eggs if they’re dirty,” Mark Williams, Chief Executive of the British Egg Industry Council told Forbes. The USDA doesn’t see it that way. They’re concerned with the potential of fecal matter making it from the farm onto the egg, which, being a porous object, could transfer micro-organisms inside the egg. Eggs in the United States must be washed in water a minimum of 90°F. They must then be sprayed with a chemical sanitizer and dried to remove residual moisture that might enable bacteria to penetrate the egg shell. If any moisture is left on the egg, the potential for bacteria is much higher. The U.S. cleaning methods must be followed closely in order for them to work. With such a high risk of bacteria if cleaned improperly, the UK believes cleaning is more trouble than it’s worth, Forbes explains. Careless cleaning would be worse than no cleaning.

There is also a thin layer called the cuticle that naturally protects the egg, and the EU egg marketing regulations prohibit cleaning eggs in order to keep the cuticle intact. The cuticle protects from contamination and should be left on, they say. Due to the different washing philosophies, the U.S. and UK also have different storage procedures. If you’ve ever bought eggs in Europe, you might have noticed that eggs are not refrigerated in the supermarket. In the U.S., however, eggs are always kept in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. The different methods stem from the different washing methods, and more specifically, the potential for moisture on the egg. In the UK, there is the worry that refrigerating eggs before consumers take them home will lead to a change of temperature drastic enough during transportation to cause moisture to collect. If eggs sweat when moved from a cold fridge to a warm car, for example, unnecessary bacteria could form.

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US Rejected Hen Vaccine Despite British Success

Faced with a crisis more than a decade ago in which thousands of people were sickened from salmonella in infected eggs, farmers in Britain began vaccinating their hens against the bacteria. That simple but decisive step virtually wiped out the health threat. But when American regulators created new egg safety rules that went into effect last month, they declared that there was not enough evidence to conclude that vaccinating hens against salmonella would prevent people from getting sick. The Food and Drug Administration decided not to mandate vaccination of hens — a precaution that would cost less than a penny per a dozen eggs.

Now, consumers have been shaken by one of the largest egg recalls ever, involving nearly 550 million eggs from two Iowa producers, after a nationwide outbreak of thousands of cases of salmonella was traced to eggs contaminated with the bacteria.

The F.D.A. has said that if its egg safety rules had gone into effect earlier, the crisis might have been averted. Those rules include regular testing for contamination, cleanliness standards for henhouses and refrigeration requirements, all of which experts say are necessary. However, many industry experts say the absence of mandatory vaccination greatly weakens the F.D.A. rules, depriving them of a crucial step that could prevent future outbreaks.

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25/09/2018

Should eggs be stored in the fridge?