Well, if you’re buying them at a store in the US and storing at room temperature, your friend has a point. In Europe, they don’t wash the eggs at the processing plant. This leaves a film of sorts on the egg that prevents bacteria from entering the egg. In the US, we wash the eggs in processing to get bacteria off the eggs. Both methods are done to prevent E-coli, but the caveat is the washed eggs need refrigeration because there is no film on the eggs.
Also-- if the eggs are unwashed and then refrigerated they are now not shelf stable, the condensation that will occur going from fridge to room temp will disturb the cuticle enough to make them unsafe.
I think that’s a fair point. However in this case, as an American I personally know people here who are like this.
A friend of mine will go to the store and buy more eggs because he refuses to eat the fresh eggs I keep on my counter.
Edit: He also keeps an ice chest in his trunk to keep them in during the 20 minute drive from the store…
Well, if you’re buying them at a store in the US and storing at room temperature, your friend has a point. In Europe, they don’t wash the eggs at the processing plant. This leaves a film of sorts on the egg that prevents bacteria from entering the egg. In the US, we wash the eggs in processing to get bacteria off the eggs. Both methods are done to prevent E-coli, but the caveat is the washed eggs need refrigeration because there is no film on the eggs.
https://www.ksat.com/features/2024/01/24/why-eggs-need-to-be-refrigerated-in-us-but-not-europe/#:~:text=Processing eggs in Europe&text=One%2C various countries in Europe,of needing to be refrigerated.
Also-- if the eggs are unwashed and then refrigerated they are now not shelf stable, the condensation that will occur going from fridge to room temp will disturb the cuticle enough to make them unsafe.
This is something I never knew, thanks
I will add to this… obviously, if you have chickens, farm fresh eggs can be stored at room temperature in the US.