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.
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.
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.
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.
White eggs in the United States are not bleached, contrary to popular internet belief. The color, instead, depends on the kind of chicken that is laying the egg, and it usually corresponds with the color of the chicken's earlobe.
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.
Chicken egg colours explained:
Brown eggs: caused by protoporphyrin IX, from the hen's haemoglobin, and is coated on the outside of the egg as it moves through the oviduct.
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 addition, all broken or cracked eggs must be thrown out immediately.
The egg industry faces supply issues impacted by rising feed costs and a hangover from the pandemic restrictions which reduced laying flocks. Egg Farmers of Australia told SBS in 2022 the industry had been impacted by bushfires, floods, droughts, the mice plague, COVID-19 and increased production costs.
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 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.
The Egg Safety Center has many readers who often ask a similar question: why is it safe to eat room temperature eggs in some parts of the world, but not in the USA? The answer has to do with bacteria: Salmonella. In the United States, it's more than a food safety recommendation that eggs be refrigerated – it's the law.
In Japan, a highly advanced machine takes care of the whole process automatically: cleaning the eggs, checking them for quality, sorting them for size, and finally packaging them and sealing the carton. Of course, eggs are very fragile and the slightest of bumps can be enough to crack them.
When hens eat feed containing yellow corn or alfalfa meal, they lay eggs with medium-yellow yolks. When they eat wheat or barley, they lay eggs with lighter-colored yolks. A colorless diet, such as white cornmeal, produces nearly white egg yolks.
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.
Butter is also often made with pasteurized milk, which makes it less prone to bacterial growth. The salt in your butter also wards off bacteria growth—but, if you have unsalted butter, it's best kept in the fridge. Get the scoop on why Americans refrigerate eggs and Europeans don't.
In the 2021-22 financial year, New South Wales produced 35% of Australia's eggs with Queensland (30%) & Victoria (20%) not far behind. How many hens are there in Australia's egg industry? In June 2022, Australia's egg industry reported a national flock size of 21,187,854 layers.
Australia imports most of its Egg from Vietnam, India and Indonesia . The top 3 importers of Egg are United States with 130,694 shipments followed by India with 38,075 and Maldives at the 3rd spot with 35,222 shipments.
Woolworths blames reduced production for egg shortage
"We're in close contact with our suppliers and are working to increase the availability of eggs in stores as soon as possible."
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.
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.
Australian egg yolks are artificially brightened with additive food dyes placed into the chook's feed pellets. IF you think a bright yellow or orange egg yolk is a sign of a healthy well-cared for chicken think again.
The reason we see fewer white eggs is due to the ratio of chicken in the UK. It is estimated that of the 40m egg-laying birds in the UK, only about 250,000-300,000 are breeds that lay white eggs.
Pasture-Raised Eggs / Pastured Eggs): Pasture-raised eggs (sometimes referred to as pastured eggs) are the healthiest eggs to buy, no question. Pasture-raised means that the hens are free to roam and graze freely in a large open pasture.