[Tigerwren]

Hi all,
I have had a huge 'debate' with my OH about what to do with chicken eggs and I would like advice please to settle the different opinions once and for all.
Do all eggs have to be cleaned and sterilised before entering the home?
If so, what is the best way to do this?
From what I have read, it seems to be just a matter of giving an egg a wipe unless it is a dirty egg.  Is this right, or am I putting my children at risk from salmonella as my OH says?? 
Help please and any advice very welcome.

[D]

You don't have to wash every egg you get. I normally only wash the dirty ones, the ones which are clean I normally put them straight in the fridge.
I think I read somewhere that if you wash an egg you remove the waxy layer that surrounds the shell making it easier for moisture and bacteria to enter and so should avoid washing as much as possible. Where possible take eggs out of nest boxes as soon as they are layed and keep nest boxes nice and tidy.
I have seen sites that sell egg washing fluids but I've not tried them and wondered if they were perhaps a bit gimiky? Someone else may know about these though.

[Aidy]

+1 as above. When you wash them you should use cold water, never hot, the shell is porous. I normaly dab some kitchen roll under the cold tap, quick wipe and dry, pop in fridge.

[arugula]

Eggs do have a natural antibiotic coating which is removed by washing thus making the shell permeable. I would consider it a matter of personal preference whether you wash the shells or not.  If you're going to put the eggs in the fridge I guess I would, but I never store eggs in the fridge and would tend to wash only the really dirty ones.


Edit: addition.

[8doubles]

I always use hot water on dirty eggs as it is supposed to make the contents of the egg expand pushing bacteria out. If you use cold water the opposite happens.

More on the subject here, http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=17802.0

[Craig69]

Eggs do have a natural antibiotic coating which is removed by washing thus making the shell permeable. I would consider it a matter of personal preference whether you wash the shells or not.  If you're going to put the eggs in the fridge I guess I would, but I never store eggs in the fridge and would tend to wash only the really dirty ones.


Edit: addition.

I agree with the above!!
I store mine in an eggskelter & basket, never put mine in the fridge!
I only wipe the dirty ones just before i use them.
I pick the mess up each day so keeping the coop clean will help stop the eggs getting messy.

[joyfull]

I only ever wash mine if they are really dirty (mine lay in all sorts of places) and then only just before using.

[hillfooter]

I always use hot water on dirty eggs as it is supposed to make the contents of the egg expand pushing bacteria out. If you use cold water the opposite happens.

More on the subject here, http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=17802.0

You are right Double8 but warm not hot water and I'm affraid Aidy has got it the wrong way round.  However the official advice is to not wash eggs at all as there's a danger that bacteria will be washed through the porous shell which has a seal if you don't wash it off. It's actually illegal for producers to sell washed eggs for public consumers.  

Fouled eggs should be kept on one side and used within a day ideally and 4 days at the most.  They should be thoroughly cooked and not used for people with any special health risk old or very young children.  Light soiling can be wiped off with a damp cloth, a knife can be used to gently remove some fouling but don't over do.  Any soiled cracked eggs should be discarded and any clean eggs you accidentally cracked when collecting can be used for thorough cooking if used immediately.  Clean eggs should go straight in the fridge which is what the Food Standards Agency advises.  Many people don't put them in the fridge and eggs will keep well for 10 days in a cool cupboard or at least 4 weeks in a fridge is the standard advice.  Most small home producers don't keep eggs anywhere near that long.  

If you have uncontaminated (which is impossible to predetermine) eggs which are refridgerated they will last much longer than 4 weeks in a fridge.  Once refridgerated don't take them out and put them back take just as many as you need from the fridge to reduce any condensation forming on the egg.

It's up to you what advice you follow but remember that there's no guarentee an egg won't have become contaminated with bacteria but if you keep it in a fridge any bacteria which has entered the shell will only multiply very slowly so always the safest course is to refridgerate and don't give vulnerable groups raw or partially cooked eggs.

HF

[hillfooter]

I found this CONSUMER advice in my file of useful information which you might find useful.   It's  a US food agency article but still applicable and seems pretty much to err on the side of safety which is no bad thing and it's mostly in line with what I advise anyone I give eggs to.  It's up to them if they ignore it or not.  Note this is for CONSUMERS not PRODUCERS and if I find my info for PRODUCERS I'll post too.

HF

"Playing it Safe with Eggs

Did you know that fresh eggs can contain the bacteria that cause salmonellosis? Most healthy people recover from these intestinal infections within 4-7 days but they can lead to severe and even fatal illness, especially for those most vulnerable to foodborne disease: children, the elderly, and persons with immune systems weakened by health problems. You can avoid illness from eggs by knowing how to buy, store, handle and cook them safely.

Buy Safe
Buy eggs only if sold from a refrigerator or refrigerated case. Open the carton and make sure that the eggs are clean and the shells are not cracked. Store eggs in their original carton and refrigerate as soon as possible.

Keep it Clean
Don't cross-contaminate. Wash your hands, utensils, equipment and work areas with hot, soapy water before and after they come in contact with eggs and egg-containing foods.

Cook Thoroughly
Cook eggs and egg products thoroughly, until both the yolk and the white are firm. Scrambled eggs should not be runny. Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160ºF (72ºC). If a recipe calls for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served, replace it with a recipe that contains only thoroughly cooked eggs. Serve cooked eggs and egg-containing foods immediately after cooking. For buffet-style serving, hot egg dishes should be kept hot, and cold egg dishes kept cold. Eggs and egg dishes, such as quiches or soufflés, may be refrigerated for serving later but should be thoroughly reheated to 165ºF (74ºC) before serving.

Refrigerate or Freeze
For safety's sake, refrigerate eggs immediately after purchase and use them within 4 to 5 weeks. Use hard-cooked eggs (in the shell or peeled) within 1 week after cooking. Cooked eggs, including hard-boiled eggs, and egg-containing foods should not sit out for more than 2 hours. Within 2 hours they should either be reheated or refrigerated. Refrigerate leftover cooked egg dishes up to 3-4 days. When refrigerating a large amount of a hot egg-containing leftover divide it into several shallow containers so it will cool quickly.

Use frozen eggs within one year. Eggs should not be frozen in their shells: to freeze whole eggs, beat yolks and whites together. Egg whites can also be frozen by themselves.

Away from Home
When taking dishes with you, cooked eggs should be packed in an insulated cooler with enough ice or frozen gel packs to keep them cold. Don't put the cooler in the car trunk -- carry it in the passenger compartment of the car. If you're taking cooked eggs to work or school, pack them with a small frozen gel pack or a frozen juice box.

Avoid Hidden Risks
Foods containing raw or lightly cooked eggs, including some home-made Caesar salads, cake batters, mayonnaise, ice cream, eggnog, Hollandaise sauce or French toast, can be dangerous for people in high-risk groups (young children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems). Commercial forms of these foods are safe to serve if they are made with pasteurized liquid eggs. Many grocery stores carry pasteurized egg products - in which the eggs have been treated to kill bacteria.

What about Cookie Dough?
No, it is not a good idea to eat raw cookie dough when you are baking. But the good news is that the commercial versions -- including cookie dough and cookie dough ice cream -- are made with pasteurized eggs. So, calories aside, cookie dough ice cream is safe to eat.

Information provided by the US Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.


Article Created: 2000-07-11
Article Updated: 2000-07-11"

[compostqueen]

I never wash my hens eggs
If nest box is poo picked daily and kept topped up with fresh bedding the eggs will be clean
Accidental bits of muck get wiped off with kitchen paper or cuff 
Stored in kitchen in egg skelter

Why would your husband think you're at risk of salmonella. Your eggs will be fresh. The ones in the supermarket won't. Tell him that 

[Craig69]

I don't put eggs in the fridge, they sit on the side in the kitchen & last alot longer then 10 days!
My oldest egg in the egg skelter is 20 days old & will be using this along with some others later today.
It will be fine i know as i have never had a problem before.
The eggs you buy in the shops ie Sainsbury etc are about a week old before they get to the shops, & aren't stored in a fridge. Look at the date on them - you get about 4 weeks date on them.
If they have been refridgerated before they get to the shops then they should be refridgerated in the shop

[compostqueen]

They are more than a week, more like 3!

If I have the slightest worry about the age of an egg I pop it into a tall glass of cold water. If it floats it's duff 

[hillfooter]

Well Craig we all know eggs will normally last a lot longer than 10 days at room temperaturet and even longer in a fridge (I know someone who eat some that had been in the fridge for over 3 months without ill effect) however there's a big difference between what we know is the most likely risk and what might constitute a million to 1 risk.  If I advise others I want to be pretty bullet proof there's not going to be a problem which is why I always say you have to decide what risk you want to run and in all things not just eggs there's some risk.

I did find my article on farm gate selling of eggs but as I didn't author it and I didn't record the source I can't publish it but there's lots of advice out there for anyone who wants to google for it as well as a lot of good advice on this website.  I might also say there's some not so good advice too but you'll have to decide for yourself which is which.
Best of luck
HF

[hillfooter]

They are more than a week, more like 3!

If I have the slightest worry about the age of an egg I pop it into a tall glass of cold water. If it floats it's duff  

That's absolutely right it will certainly be duff if it floats but unfortunately it might also be duff if it sinks too.  If it floats it just means it's so highly active with bacteria that there's gas in there but it could still have a pretty heavy concentration of breeding bacteria which hasn't out gassed enough to float so it's not a reliable test.

Always thoroughly cook an egg you aren't completely sure is fresh and if you have to test you aren't sure.  That way even if it does contain some bacteria which even perfectly safe eggs might well do, it won't hurt you.

HF

[Aidy]

They're you go, you learn something everyday. I had read on several tinterweb sites to always cold water. Cheers HF