Susie Kearley – In the United Kingdom and Europe, many people keep their eggs at room temperature. The supermarkets sell unrefrigerated eggs, and it's thought that refrigerating eggs in shops is bad practice because chilling the eggs and then allowing them to warm on the way home could create condensation.
European food safety experts took a different tack: They left the cuticle intact, made it illegal for egg producers to wash eggs, discouraged refrigeration (which can cause mildew growth—and bacterial contamination—should the eggs sweat as they come back to room temps), and started a program of vaccinating chickens ...
In the UK we do not refrigerate eggs, because of food safety. In the US, they do refrigerate eggs, for food safety.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand's Response
The statement continues to say that refrigerating whole eggs is not required because: The Salmonella bacteria which can contaminate an egg while it's inside the bird isn't present in Australian eggs.
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. For example, eggs being moved from a fridge to a hot car after purchase,' a spokesperson told us.
It is recommended that they are stored in a fridge as soon as possible – avoiding any change in temperature as it can cause condensation on the shell which in turn can cause bacterial issues. In the UK, eggs are marked with a best-before date – a legal requirement of 28 days after the egg was laid.
Eggs in the US need to be refrigerated to slow the growth of any potential salmonella bacteria. Eggs in some other countries are less likely to have salmonella and don't need refrigeration. You can always refrigerate eggs to extend their shelf life, but make sure to store them correctly.
In Europe, farms vaccinate chickens against salmonella. That means the cuticle is still intact when eggs are sold. Refrigerating eggs with the cuticle intact could actually cause mildew to grow. Which could cause… you guessed it salmonella contamination.
Though a few other countries around the world (namely Canada, Japan, and the Netherlands) do follow the American approach to egg safety, many skip the commercial cleaning and refrigeration process completely.
Should you put eggs in the fridge? Eggs don't need to go in the fridge, but they'll last longer if they do. If they've been washed or refrigerated before (for instance, at the supermarket) then they should also go in your fridge at home.
Most people will still put them in the fridge at home, but because in Germany and most of Europe eggs are not washed and sterilized, unlike in the US and Canada, whereby the protective layer on the outside can be damaged, eggs don't HAVE to be refrigerated so the store sells them on the shelf.
In Europe and other parts of the world, another technique called ultra-heat-treated pasteurization, or UHT, is used. Milk is exposed to higher temperatures of 284°F for three seconds, decimating virtually all the bacteria and making it shelf-stable for about six months if left unopened.
From what I've gathered, eggs are farmed and processed differently in the UK than they are in the US. In the UK, eggs aren't washed before they hit the shelves. When eggs are washed, it makes it easier for bacteria such as salmonella to seep in, which is why cool refrigerator temperatures are necessary for US eggs.
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.
Egg yolks vary in colour from dark orange to almost white and this variation is almost entirely due to the pigments in the chicken's food. A diet rich in pigments will produce eggs with darker yolks.
The eggs stored in cold temperature tend to undergo condensation when they are taken out to room temperature. This promotes the growth of bacteria over the egg shell, thereby contaminating the egg and making it harmful for human consumption.
Egg washing is not required in Australia, but sale of dirty eggs is prohibited under Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) requirements. A good option for cleaning dirty eggs is an automated washing machine system designed to produce a high recovery rate of first grade eggs.
That's right, no refrigerators. In the U.S., Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and parts of Scandinavia, shoppers will find eggs in the chilled dairy case.
There are a few other countries that also sterilize and refrigerate eggs before they're sold. If you live in Australia, Japan, Denmark and Sweden, your eggs are just like those in North America – so make sure you're keeping them refrigerated.
The most distinctive characteristic is the use of “raw” eggs. Compared to other countries, eggs in Japan are considered to be much less contaminated by salmonella, one of the causes of food poisoning, and therefore raw eggs can be eaten without worry. The most popular way to eat raw eggs is “Tamagokakegohan” (TKG).
Most countries do not store their eggs in refrigerators. Instead, they leave them out at room temperature. This might seem like a food safety hazard, but both methods are safe.
According to the American Egg Board, you can leave eggs on the counter about 2 hours at room temperature (or 1 hour if the temperature is 90°F or hotter). After 2 hours, you'd be safer to throw those eggs out and get a fresh dozen rather than chance it.
Historically, how did people preserve eggs to ensure a steady winter supply? The answer is, they had literally dozens of methods to preserve eggs. They stored them in wood ash, wheat bran, and straw, or coated them with butter or lard, or kneaded them into homemade pasta that was hung to dry.
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.
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.