In some European countries, egg-laying hens are vaccinated against salmonella. In the U.S., vaccination is not required, but eggs must be washed and refrigerated from farm to store, and producers must follow a host of other safety measures.
In the U.S., egg producers with 3,000 or more laying hens must wash their eggs. Methods include using soap, enzymes or chlorine. The idea is to control salmonella, a potentially fatal bacteria that can cling to eggs.
Egg washing is not required in Australia, but sale of dirty eggs is prohibited by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). Storing washed eggs below 7°C can help reduce the ability of Salmonella to grow.
In the commercial egg industry, eggs are washed and also pasteurized. Pasteurization is the process of rapidly heating eggs to a certain temperature and time to kill bacteria, and is required by the USDA for all commercial egg products sold in the US.
Australia's egg situation is actually a bit all over the shop. Like the US, all eggs must be washed by hand or processor to prevent contamination on the outside of the egg.
In Australia, the vast majority of eggs are washed prior to packing to remove dirt and faecal material to reduce the microbial contamination of the egg shell.
The United States Department of Agriculture requires egg producers to clean and sanitize eggs. All of the eggs that you buy in a grocery store are washed—literally washed with soap and water—and the egg washing process removes the dirt and fecal matter that might carry salmonella.
Refrigeration extends the shelf-life of eggs, so if they are not kept cool, consumers must use them faster. We aren't the only country who washes our eggs. Japan, Australia, and some Scandinavian countries also wash their eggs.
If that's the case, then why are eggs not stored in fridges at the supermarket? Well, there's a simple explanation for that. It's apparently because store temperatures are kept below 20ºC, so refrigeration is unnecessary. 'This also prevents significant temperature fluctuations.
A general rule, unwashed eggs will last around two weeks unrefrigerated and about three months or more in your refrigerator. If you're experiencing an egg boom, it's smart to refrigerate any unwashed fresh eggs you aren't planning to eat immediately.
Here's What Fresh Eggs Daily Tells Us:
And farmers have up to 30 days to go from when the egg is laid to the carton. That means those supermarket eggs can be two months old by the time you buy them.
In Europe it's a health risk to store eggs in the fridge. In Australia, it's a health risk to store them out of the fridge. Who is right? The answer is all about Salmonella, the general name for about 2,000 types of bacteria that lead to food poisoning.
Eggs are sometimes washed to remove extraneous material, which may include faeces, from the egg surface. In the commercial setting, this usually involves passing the egg through a series of sprays containing detergents and/or sanitising agents, followed by rinsing, drying and oiling.
Incorrect. While it is true that eggs are cleaned before being packaged and sent to your grocery store, they are not bleached. In fact, most eggs start out white, but different breeds are genetically coded to release different colored pigments as the egg passes through the hen's oviduct.
In Australia, most egg producers recommend storing eggs below 15C. This makes the fridge the best place for them. The Australian Eggs organisation also recommends a “climate-controlled refrigerated environment” for storing eggs.
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.
How Long Can Eggs Sit Out? According to the USDA, refrigerated eggs should not be left out for more than two hours.
The Europeans, on the other hand, don't wash their eggs in order to rely on this natural “cuticle” to protect from contamination entering the egg. Many European countries, like the UK, vaccinate their hens to prevent the transmission of salmonella when the hens lay eggs.
Eggs have small pores which harmful bacteria can enter. Even shells that appear clean can carry germs. Even so, eggs do not need to be washed. If not washed, they can keep without spoiling for weeks without refrigeration.
Husbandry and hygiene practices in Europe
In Europe, it is unlawful to wash eggs because this process is believed to damage an outside layer of the egg shell known as the cuticle, making it easier for bacteria to penetrate the inside of an egg.
In Australia, commercial farms normally use Hy-Line Brown, ISA Brown and Hi-Sex Brown breeds. These breeds also have brown feathers. America mostly uses Leghorn chickens. These hens have white feathers and white eggs!
Commercial egg producers are regulated and required to wash all eggs before shipment, which is why the eggs you buy in the supermarket are so tidy.
Is There a Salmonella Risk? The risk is low as Australia has strict food safety laws and strong state agencies with responsibility for regulating our food system. Egg farmers also do everything they can to supply safe, clean, and fresh eggs.
Australian chickens are given a bath in chlorine during processing that knocks out most of the naturally occurring campylobacter and salmonella on the chicken skin – but not all the bugs. There is a lot of water used in processing and when packaged this water and some of the serum from the flesh leaches out.”
The best all round option is to choose, Australian Pasteurised Eggs. Eggs that are pasteurised in the shell, destroying 99.999% of all bacteria on the outside shell, all the way through to yolk inside. Australian Pasteurised Eggs are safe eggs assured.