Should you keep eggs in the fridge? Short answer: Yes.
Eggs: to refrigerate or not refrigerate? This is a question that sparked countless Instagram and Tiktok videos and a lot of cross -confusion.
“The eggs do not go in the refrigerator,” say some Europeans with an uptop of shoulders.
“This is how you have Salmonella! “Cry the Americans.
So who is right? What does science really say?
Egg shell 101
When a hen lays an egg, it is covered with a natural protection layer called cuticle. This thin film is mainly made of glycoproteins, as well as small amounts of carbohydrates and fats. His work is to act as the first line of defense of the egg, helping to prevent bacteria from going through the shell. The thickness of the cuticle can vary depending on the age and breed of the hen.
Washing removes the cuticle
In the 1970s, the concerns about foods of food origin led to egg producers to adopt the washing of eggs as a standard practice. The approach was implemented in Canada, Japan, as well as in Scandinavia, but not in most of Europe.
Washing eggs before being used can help reduce the risk that fecal material or soil contaminants on the shell come into food, Bryan Quoc le, who holds a doctorate in food sciences and is the author of 150 questions about food science answeredtell Popular science.
But washing an egg has consequences: it eliminates the cuticle of the egg shell, explains the. Once the cuticle has disappeared, the egg becomes vulnerable to bacterial entrance and must be refrigerated to slow down bacterial growth.
[Related: Science says this is the perfect way to boil eggs]
Is it sure to store non-washed eggs outside the refrigerator?
Theoretically unwanted eggs can be maintained unrefrigerated for several weeks without being contaminated by bacteria, said it.
But there is a catch: the cuticle can sometimes be damaged, explained the. If the protective layer is compromised, bacteria like Salmonella can sneak.
Deana Jones, who obtained her doctorate in poultry sciences and is the director of the National Poultry Research Center center, recommends storing eggs in the refrigerator – without knowing whether they are washed or not.
“”Salmonella And other pathogens of food origin do not grow well at temperatures less than 45 Ā° F, “she says. Keeping cold eggs considerably reduces food security risks.
This corresponds to the official advice of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which advises consumers to store eggs in their original box in a refrigerator specific to 40 Ā° F or below.
Does refrigeration affect the quality of eggs?
Some people fear that storage of eggs in the refrigerator ruins their quality. But science says the opposite.
Jones and his colleagues conducted a study on how the quality of eggs is due over time in different storage conditions. They found that refrigeration really preserves quality.
“After 15 weeks of cold storage, the refrigerated eggs had quality values āāof yellow superior to eggs at room temperature after less than 24 hours of storage.”
What about cooked eggs?
The FDA advises to eat hard cooked eggs – in the shell or peeled – in a week after cooking. Egg -based dishes must be refrigerated and consumed within three to four days.
The bottom line
If you live in the United States, the eggs you buy in the supermarket are most likely washed and should be kept in the refrigerator.
If you are in a country where eggs are sold unwanted – like a large part of the European Union – they can be stored safely at room temperature for several weeks if the cuticle is still intact. But this protective barrier can be damaged without you knowing it. There is therefore the risk of deterioration when storing eggs outside the refrigerator, even if they are not washed.
This story is part of popular sciences Ask us anything seriesWhere we answer your most bizarre and burning questions, from the ordinary to the wall. Do you have something you always wanted to know? Ask.
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