If you're an American you're used to eggs being sold in the refrigerated cases at the grocery store. If you ever go to another country you'll see that's not very common anywhere else! They actually display eggs on the regular grocery store shelves.
But why? Is it safe? And why don't we all do it the same way?
Furthermore why do people who raise backyard chickens say their eggs can be stored on the counter and at the farmers market eggs are often sitting on a table in cartons not refrigerated at all?
Why Does the U.S. Refrigerate Eggs When Much of the World Doesn’t?
Well, it all comes down to the FDA and the USDA. That's the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
They regulate egg handling in the United States and as such have mandated a method for cleaning eggs which then makes them unsafe to store at room temperature!
Since eggs in other countries don't have this same processing method, they are safe to store at room temperature. Because us Americans have always seen eggs in refrigerated sections, our brains just kinda make us think they ALWAYS need to be there. They don't!
I mentioned 2 government agencies but we're mainly going to be discussing the FDA because they deal with the processing of in shell eggs. That means whole eggs, right from the chickens butt.
The USDA mainly regulates processed egg products like liquid, frozen and dried egg products so they are not really needed anymore in this convo.
The FDA's job is to regulate food, drugs, cosmetics and more. It creates policies and procedures that must be followed to ensure that products for sale are safe, effective and meet a certain quality before being available to public.
The FDA has a LOT to say about egg handling!
As such they have developed a method that must be followed to process whole eggs right from the farm. One of their policies is that eggs need to be washed, sterilized and refrigerated within 36 hours of being laid!
This is because fresh eggs may contain bacteria called salmonella. This causes foodborne illness AKA food poisoning.
Because of this risk, eggs go through a series of steps after being collected. They are inspected, washed, sanitized, dried, candled and graded and then packaged and refrigerated.
That's a lot and it happens quickly!
Do eggs have to be refrigerated?
A fresh, unwashed egg can be stored at room temperature. I leave mine from my chickens in a basket on the kitchen counter. I leave them there up to 3 weeks, though they can be left out longer.
I know I have left them out longer and they've been perfectly fine, but we use a lot of eggs around here so that doesn't happen often.
This may seem 'wrong' to people in the USA. We are one of the few countries that insists our eggs be washed before sale.
Our FDA says eggs can be stored for 3 weeks in the refrigerator after washing...though that obviously means after purchase from the grocery store. They don't really say how long fresh farm eggs are good which I find quite interesting.
It can take some time for the eggs to get to the grocery store after being laid, but they don't really count that part. They just look at the sell by date and go from there.
If you're not sure how old your eggs are you can float test them to get an idea. Since the air cell gets larger with age the ones that sink are newer than the ones that float.
Why are eggs refrigerated?
The chemicals used to wash commercially produced eggs are intended to sanitize the egg because the conditions they are produced in are usually less than ideal. Think several hens in one cage with no designated nest box.
They poop where they lay eggs and sleep. Yes, it's sad and it's also why many people raise chickens for eggs or buy direct from small free range farms. It's also why commercial eggs need washed and sanitized!
Washing removes the bloom. When the bloom is removed, the egg must be refrigerated or used immediately.
Remember, an egg is porous and this washing removes the bloom which could allow contamination to enter through those pores.
So they washed the eggs to remove any bacteria it may have had, but now the egg can pick up different bacteria so it's refrigerated for safety.
Since refrigerators are cool the temperatures inhibit the growth of bacteria and microorganisms that could cause foodborne illnesses.
What is the bloom on an egg?
The bloom is a natural, protective coating the hen produces on freshly laid eggs that helps seal the pores of the egg shell. This prevents bacteria from entering the egg.
It's very thin and not very obvious but can have a waxy sheen. The bloom is also called the cuticle.
Because of this washing & sanitizing process the FDA insists on, commercial eggs must be refrigerated but eggs from your own chickens do not need to be refrigerated unless they've been washed.
Again, the egg is protected by the bloom until you remove it.
Many other countries do not have this or any washing process and so their eggs can be safely stored and sold from the regular store shelves.
Related reading: How to clean fresh eggs from your chickens.
How to handle backyard chickens eggs
If the eggs you collect have any poop on them I suggest you wash and refrigerate them, but if they're clean I just stick them in a basket on the counter and I have a rotation system for which eggs get used first.
Again, there's always the float test if you think an egg is older or aren't sure. However, after submerging them in water the eggs must be stored in the refrigerator!
Although farm fresh eggs do not need to be refrigerated unless washed, eggs will stay fresh longer in the refrigerator than on the counter. This is important for chicken keepers to consider in the summer when egg production is high.
If we can't keep up with eating the eggs within a 2 week period, I start to store some in the refrigerator. It's also important to note that any egg once refrigerated must remain refrigerated until use.
When you take an egg out of the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature the egg 'sweats'. It's pretty much exactly how a glass of ice water sweats, but in this instance it can allow bacteria to enter the egg especially after the bloom has been removed by washing.
A cold egg must stay cold until you're ready to use it, but a room temperature egg with the bloom intact can be stored at room temperature or moved to the refrigerator if so desired.
If you collect the eggs warm and place them on your counter they can stay there, but if you wash them then they must be stored in the refrigerator.
Also, I mentioned if you collect the eggs warm because in winter if eggs are not collected quickly they can get cold while in the coop. If the egg gets cold and then comes back to room temperature it may sweat before it warms up.
This moisture can compromise the bloom and allow bacteria into the egg, so once an egg gets cold it must be kept cold. Cold eggs go in the refrigerator whether washed or not.
This is why I talk about collecting eggs more frequently in winter in How Often Should You Collect Eggs? Well, plus the fact that when they freeze the shells will crack and that definitely lets bacteria in!
I know, it's a lot to worry about but the goal is to have healthy eggs for our breakfasts and recipes and we need to keep bacteria away from them as much as possible.
Safe handling procedures look different in other countries because of our regulations. This doesn't mean their method is wrong, they're just handling things differently.
Having a hard time peeling hard boiled eggs from your chickens? Check out: How To Boil Farm Fresh Eggs So They Peel Easily.
~L
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