Are you making this mistake with your eggs?!

In Europe, there's an interesting twist when it comes to eggs: traders aren't allowed to keep them cool. According to legislation (EC) No 589/2008 of June 23, 2008, eggs should be stored and transported at room temperature until they're ready to be sold to the final consumer. So, if you're browsing the egg section in a European store, you won't find them chilling next to cheese and fresh produce!

Meanwhile, in the United States, it's a whole different story. There, it's actually against the rules to sell eggs that haven't been refrigerated!

So, where do you usually keep your eggs—cooling in the fridge or hanging out on the shelf?

Let's explore this renowned microbiota together and learn how to care for it properly to keep it rich, stable, and balanced through our diet, thereby becoming true artisans of our health!

Salmonellosis: A Serious Disease Linked to Eggs

To get a clear picture and figure out who's got it right—Americans or Europeans—it's crucial to grasp some basics about salmonellosis, a disease that eggs can transmit.

Salmonellosis is a severe sickness triggered by a bacterium known as salmonella. It kicks off with symptoms like diarrhea and fever, followed by intense stomach cramps. This unpleasant experience typically lasts about a week, but for some, it's not something they can shake off solo; they might need hospital care. As the bacteria multiply in the intestines, they can make their way into the bloodstream, leading to widespread infection and, in extreme cases, even death.

And here's the kicker: the risk is no joke!

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), salmonellosis ranks as one of the most widespread foodborne illnesses out there. They estimate that several tens of millions of cases crop up annually worldwide, with over a hundred thousand resulting in fatalities.

Humans typically pick up salmonellosis by munching on contaminated animal products, particularly eggs. The culprit? Well, eggs need to be pretty loaded with bacteria for this to happen, which tends to occur more in older eggs that have been lounging around for a while.

Adding to the mix, warmer temperatures are like a bacteria breeding ground. Research backs this up, showing that an egg infected with salmonella and left at room temperature for over three weeks will likely be teeming with bacteria compared to its chilled counterpart.

So, does this mean the scoreboard tips in favor of Americans who opt for refrigerated eggs?

Nature's Nifty Design

Nature's got its own built-in defenses, which means your average egg should be bacteria-free. Just before laying, a hen applies a protective liquid coat to the egg, acting as a shield against bacteria. This liquid dries up and forms what's called the cuticle—a layer that keeps bacteria from sneaking in through the shell. So, even if an egg has a run-in with salmonella-tainted faeces (the usual suspect for contamination), the bacteria will stay on the outside.

Why Skip the Suds?

This ingenious protective measure gets a bit of a shake-up if you decide to give your eggs a bath post-collection. Washing eggs removes most, if not all, of the cuticle, leaving the egg vulnerable to microbial mischief.

In the United States, store-bought eggs typically get a good scrubbing, stripping away their cuticle and leaving them open to contamination. Hence, the need for refrigeration. Meanwhile, across the pond in Europe, washing eggs is a no-no for this very reason.

According to legislation (EC) No. 589/2008 of June 23, 2008, "In general, eggs should not be washed or cleaned because such practices can damage the shell, which is an effective barrier against the entry of bacteria, with a line of antibacterial properties. ... In addition, Class A eggs should not be washed because of potential damage to physical barriers, such as the cuticle, that can occur during or after washing."

Now, you might be thinking, why not just skip washing and pop the eggs in the fridge to keep bacteria at bay? Wouldn't that be the perfect solution? Well, let's dive into that.

Why Skip the Fridge?

The snag with chilling eggs is that when you take them out, the shell gets sweaty. According to those European regulations I mentioned earlier, this moisture "makes it easier for bacteria to grow on the shell and possibly penetrate the egg." Hence, the recommendation to store and transport eggs at room temperature, steering clear of the fridge until they hit the consumer's hands.

Even if the eggs skip the wash cycle, condensation can still be a bother. Europeans have sensibly concluded that it's best to skip the wash and the chill.

On the flip side, the United States has gone the opposite route: they opt for a thorough scrubbing at the get-go, even if it means saying goodbye to the protective cuticle, and then keeping the eggs cool throughout.

In my humble opinion, this approach has its flaws. Just like us, Americans stroll through supermarkets, toss eggs into their carts, and then into their cars. Since their eggs are already refrigerated in stores, they end up with that pesky condensation, making them damp when they return to the fridge. Without that protective cuticle, these eggs are more prone to bacteria invasion.

To add to the mix, egg expert Mark Williams chimes in, noting that in Europe, the inability to wash eggs before sale nudges farms toward better performance and cleanliness. After all, no one's keen on purchasing dirty eggs, so farmers have an incentive to keep things clean without relying on a wash.

So, does this mean American eggs, because they get washed, are more likely to come from environments with a higher risk of salmonella contamination due to less-than-stellar conditions?

Well, what do you think!

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