Important Food Safety Information

Egg Handling and Care Tips

Salmonella bacteria are widely found in nature and can easily spread. The bacteria can be found in the intestinal tracts of animals, birds, reptiles, insects and people. While the egg itself may not be contaminated when you buy it, it can become contaminated from improper handling such as through contact with unclean hands, pets, other foods and kitchen equipment, too. By following the recommendations to clean, separate, cook and chill, you can help protect yourself and your family from food borne illness.

Cleanliness

Cleanliness throughout the kitchen and in every step of food preparation is important for food safety. Wash hands, utensils, equipment and work surfaces thoroughly in hot soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after you handle high-protein foods, such as eggs, as well as produce and other raw foods.

• To wash hands properly, wet your hands with running water and lather them with soap for a full 20 seconds. Then rinse and dry with a clean towel or paper towel.
• To clean and sanitize your surfaces, you’ll want to start with warm, soapy water and a clean paper towel or dish rag to wash the surfaces.
• Next, you’ll need to sanitize the surfaces to kill any remaining bacteria. Many different sanitizers can be used: an easy homemade version is to make a solution of 1 tablespoon of liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water, or you can use a commercial sanitizer or sanitizing wipe. Follow the label instructions on commercial sanitizers to determine whether you need to rinse food preparation areas after use. Washed surfaces should be dry before sanitizing.
• Since retail eggs are washed and sanitized under prescribed conditions before packing and incorrect home procedures might infect the contents, avoid washing eggshells at home.

Separate

Separate raw meat, fish, seafood, poultry and eggs from other foods, especially foods that are ready-to-eat. Refrigerate raw shell eggs in their cartons in the main compartment of the refrigerator and not on the door where the temperature can fluctuate. Keep eggs away from any meats that might drip juices or any produce that might come into contact with eggshells. Cover or wrap well any egg mixtures or leftover cooked eggs dishes before refrigerating.

Wash thoroughly with hot soapy water any bowls, pans, blenders, mixers, or other container which has held a raw egg mixture before you use it again for more eggs or another food. Do the same with any container that has held raw meat, fish, seafood or poultry. Also use separate cutting boards for raw meat, fish seafood, poultry and other foods, particularly cooked and ready-to-eat foods. Thoroughly wash and sanitize work surfaces, cutting boards and utensils, such as knives and beaters, after each use.

When you break or separate eggs, it’s best to avoid mixing the yolks and whites with the shells. Rather than broken shell halves or your hands, use an inexpensive egg separator or a funnel when you separate eggs to help prevent the introduction of bacteria. Also use a clean utensil to remove any bits of eggshell that accidentally fall into an egg mixture and do not use empty eggshells to measure other foods.

Cooking

Cooking to proper temperatures brings eggs and other foods to a temperature high enough to destroy bacteria that causes food borne illness.

For food safety, instant thermal kill of Salmonella occurs when the egg reaches a temperature of 165°F. Thermal kill of Salmonella occurs when at temperature of 160°F is maintained for 2 minutes.  All leftover foods must be reheated to an internal temperature of at least 165°F. Test with an instant read thermometer. Toss any egg-containing leftover after 3 days

Refrigerate

Refrigerate is the last food safety tip. Rapid growth of bacteria can occur between 40 and 140°F. Cold temperatures keeps bacteria from growing to large enough numbers to cause illness. Keep shell eggs, egg mixtures and egg-containing leftovers refrigerated at 40°F or below when not being cooked or eaten. Broken out eggs and pooled eggs should be used quickly and not stored for long periods in the refrigerator. For all perishable foods, including eggs and egg-containing dishes, allow no more than 2 hours at room temperature for preparation and serving, 30 minutes to 1 hour when its 85°F or hotter.

Promptly after serving, refrigerate any leftovers containing eggs and consume within 2 to 3 days. Thoroughly reheat leftovers to an internal temperature of 165°F.  Without tasting them, discard any egg-containing leftovers that have been refrigerated more than three days.

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Egg Cooking Doneness Guidelines

Adequate cooking brings eggs to a temperature high enough to prevent food borne illness.

To ensure food safety, experts recommend cooking eggs to a minimum temperature of 160°F maintained for 2 minutes or an end temperature of 165°F. For example, a fried or poached egg cooked to these guidelines will result in a solid/firm yolk.

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How to ‘fix’ favorite egg recipes that call for raw or lightly cooked eggs to make them food safe.

To eliminate risk and ensure food safety, replace all your recipes calling for raw or lightly cooked eggs with cooked eggs recipes or use pasteurized shell eggs or egg products when you prepare them. Note that the egg white from pasteurized shell eggs and liquid egg white products available at retail will not whip properly in foaming applications. If these types of eggs are not available in your supermarket, use the following methods to adapt your recipes:

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Egg Storage

Continually keep raw shell eggs, broken-out eggs, egg mixtures, prepared egg dishes and other perishable foods refrigerated at 40°F or below when you’re not cooking or eating them.

What is the best way to store refrigerated eggs?

The moment an egg is laid, physical and chemical changes begin to conspire against freshness and food safety. Warm temperatures encourage those changes, so newly laid eggs must be gathered frequently and refrigerated quickly.

Refrigerate raw shell eggs in their cartons in the main compartment of the refrigerator and not on the door where the temperature can fluctuate. Keep eggs away from any meats that might drip juices or any produce that might come into contact with eggshells. Refrigerated raw shell eggs will keep without significant quality loss for about 4 to 5 weeks beyond the pack date (the date the egg was placed in the carton, expressed as a Julian date) or about 3 weeks after you bring them home.

What difference does time make?  As eggs age, the whites thin and the yolks flatten.  This means that the eggs will spread more in a pan if you fry them and there will be more “angel wings” of egg white in the water if you poach them.  Because the yolk membrane also weakens with age, the yolks may break whether you want them to or not  – making it difficult to cleanly separate egg yolk from egg white. The egg white of older eggs will not form as stable a foam for recipes such as angel food cake and meringue cookies.

For recipes calling for whole eggs, you can still use the eggs.  The weakening of the yolk membrane, however, makes it easier for bacteria – if they’re present – to reach the nutritious yolk.  So, to prevent the possibility of foodborne illness, it’s best to use older eggs in fully cooked items, such as quiches, stratas and baked goods.

How to store leftover egg whites and egg yolks.

Refrigerate the leftover egg whites in a covered container up to 4 days. Store yolks in a covered container in the refrigerator and use within a day or 2. If you can’t use the leftover egg yolks quickly enough, hard-boil them. Carefully place them in a single layer in saucepan and add enough water to come at least 1 inch above the yolks. Remove from heat and let stand, covered in the hot water for about 12 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator and use within 4 or 5 days. If you find yourself with more eggs than you can use, freeze them. 

What about eggs accidentally left out of the refrigerator?

Raw shell eggs, broken-out eggs, egg mixtures, prepared egg dishes and other perishable foods should be refrigerated at 40°F or below when you’re not cooking or eating them. These foods should not be left at room temperature for more than 2 hours, including the time you use to prepare and serve them. Allow no more than 30 minutes to 1 hour when it’s 85°F or hotter. Discard any egg and egg containing dish that has exceeded these guidelines.

What about room temperature eggs for baking?

In some recipes with creamed sugar and fat, adding cold eggs could harden the fat and curdle the batter, affecting the finished product’s texture. For such recipes, remove the eggs from the refrigerator about 20 to 30 minutes before using them while assembling other ingredients. If you’re in a hurry, place eggs in a sealed plastic bag with the air removed and floated in the bowl of warm water to warm the egg contents, or crack the eggs into a clean container, cover with plastic wrap, then set the bowl in a larger bowl that contains the warm water to warm the eggs.

For all other recipes, use eggs straight from the refrigerator.

Hard boiled egg preparations and handling

Hard-boiled eggs with intact shells can be refrigerated safety up to one week. Refrigerate in a loosely covered container (do not tightly seal as this can promote yeast growth). Do not reuse the original carton to store hard-boiled eggs. Once the shell is removed, eggs should be eaten that day.

Food safety precaution: Piercing shells before cooking is not recommended. If not sterile, the piercer or needle can introduce bacteria into the egg. Also, piercing creates hairline cracks in the shell, through which bacteria can enter after cooking.

When making pickled eggs, use sterilized quart-sized or smaller containers. Refrigerate pickled egg containers and, to avoid introducing bacteria, use a clean utensil to remove the eggs from the pickling solution. Do not drain off pickling solution to retrieve eggs. Unopened jars of pickled eggs have a 2-week refrigerated shelf life, and once the jar is opened consume the eggs within one week.

Deviled eggs can be a portable appetizer with a little pre-planning. Pack the prepared filling in a food storage bag, and the empty egg white halves in a separate sealed container. Transport both the yolk filling and egg whites with ice or frozen coolant packs in an insulated cooler. Assemble by snipping off a corner of the filling bag and squeezing to refill the whites – just like using a pastry bag. Prepare and consume within 24 hours. Discard leftovers. Hard-boiled eggs should not be peeled, sliced and stored in refrigerator for no more than 24 hours before consumption.

Power outages and egg safety

As noted in the USDA Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency, your refrigerator will keep food safe for up to 4 hours during a power outage. Keep the door closed as much as possible. Discard refrigerated perishable food such as eggs, meat, poultry, fish and leftovers after 4 hours without power.

After a power outage never taste food to determine its safety. You will have to evaluate each item separately – use this chart as a guide

Is it necessary to refrigerate eggs you bought from a neighbor who only has a few hens?

Eggs are a raw agricultural commodity and as such, refrigeration is paramount during storage. Research has shown that egg temperature has a dramatic impact on both food safety and product quality. Prompt refrigeration of eggs reduces the likelihood of microbial growth and aids in maintaining egg quality.

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How to Freeze Eggs

Egg can be frozen, however, not in the shell.  Freeze only clean, fresh eggs.

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Arts & Crafts with Eggs

Easter egg tips

Eggs are frequently handled at Easter time, and each handling occasion is one more change that the eggs might come into contact with bacteria. To avoid bacterial contamination, wash your hands thoroughly before you handle eggs at every step, including cooking, cooling and dying. Refrigerate hard-cooked eggs in a bowl, not the egg carton, if you won’t be decorating right after cooking and cooling. Refrigerate them again after you display them.

Decorate only uncracked eggs. If you want to eat your decorated eggs later, use food coloring or specially made food-grade dyes dissolved in water that is warmer than the eggs, and be sure any adhesives and embellishments are suitable to come into direct contact with food, and are food safe. If any eggs crack decorating or while on display, discard them along with any eggs that have been out of refrigeration for more than 2 hours. If you keep hard-boiled eggs out of refrigeration for many hours or several days for a decoration or for hiding, cook extra eggs for eating. Either discard the eggs that have been left out of refrigeration for more than 2 hours, or continue enjoying them only for display. Hard-boiled eggs should be refrigerated promptly after cooling and consumed within one week.

If you hide eggs, consider hiding placing carefully. Avoid areas where the eggs might come into contact with dirt, pets, wild animals, birds, reptiles, insects or lawn chemicals. Refrigerate the hidden eggs again after they have been found.

How to empty an egg shell

To safety empty an eggshell, first wash the egg using water warmer than the egg, then dry it. With a sterilized long needle or small, sharp skewer, poke a small hole in the small end of the egg and a larger hole in the large end. Carefully chip away bits of shell around the large hole until it’s big enough to fir the tip of a turkey baster. Stick the needle or skewer into the yolk to break it.

Either shake the large-end down over a cup or bowl until the contents come out or use a baster to push out the contents. Press the bulb of the baster to push air into the egg and let the contents fall into the cup. If the contents don’t come out easily, insert the needle again and move it around to be sure both the shell membranes and yolk are broken. Rise the empty shell under cool running water. Stand it on end to drain and dry.

How to use the contents of eggshells that have been emptied for decorating

Use the contents of emptied egg shells in a recipe which includes beaten yolks and whites and calls for through cooking or baking. Use the contents immediately or freeze them, labeling the storage container with the date and number of eggs it contains. Keep frozen for a year at 0F or lower. Most baked dishes, such as casseroles, custards, quiches, frittatas and baked items are good uses for eggs emptied from their shells.

Reusing egg cartons for crafts and activities

While it sounds ideal to repurpose egg cartons, food safety experts offer caution. Commercial egg farmers follow the FDA’s Egg Safety Rule, so they wash and sanitize eggs before packing them in clean, new cartons, eliminating bacteria that may have been present on the shell. But bacteria could creep back into the picture as eggs are handled at stores and in homes.

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is clear on the subject, saying items such as foam meat trays, convenience food dishes and egg cartons should be considered one-time-use packaging. “Bacteria from foods that these packages once contained may remain on the packaging and thus be able to contaminate foods or even hands if reused,” says FSIS on its web site.

How can egg packaging be handled responsibly? Cardboard cartons may be recycled along with other paper products, torn into pieces and composted. It is not recommended to use cartons to start seedlings in the early spring before transferring plants to the garden as any organisms present in the cartons could be absorbed by the growing seedling.  

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Frequently Asked Questions About Eggs