In Australia, most egg producers recommend storing eggs below 15C. This makes the fridge the best place for them. The Australian Eggs organisation also recommends a “climate-controlled refrigerated environment” for storing eggs.
The delay in the growth of Salmonella in eggs has been found to be temperature dependent. For eggs held at room temperature, growth may be inhibited for 2 to 3 weeks. Conversely, for eggs stored at 37°C, growth may occur in a few days.
Eggs must be kept clean, intact and fresh; stored at cool temperatures; and cooked well. Follow these practical tips to ensure that the eggs you sell stay safe: Do store eggs in their outer boxes at below 20 °C, until displayed for sale.
If that's the case, then why are eggs not stored in fridges at the supermarket? Well, there's a simple explanation for that. It's apparently because store temperatures are kept below 20ºC, so refrigeration is unnecessary. 'This also prevents significant temperature fluctuations.
Storing eggs at room temperature isn't advised in the United States because of Salmonella and other pathogens. When we asked Clark whether it's safe to keep store-bought eggs at room temperature in the U.S., her answer was a clear "no."
Experts believe that eggs are best stored at room temperature. Storing eggs in too cold a temperature, i.e. in the refrigerator can make them inedible. Keeping eggs in the fridge cause the growth of bacteria on the shells and this turn and enter the insides of the eggs, in turn making them inedible.
How Long Can Eggs Sit Out? According to the USDA, refrigerated eggs should not be left out for more than two hours.
In Europe it's a health risk to store eggs in the fridge. In Australia, it's a health risk to store them out of the fridge. Who is right? The answer is all about Salmonella, the general name for about 2,000 types of bacteria that lead to food poisoning.
The best way to keep eggs is to store them in their original carton in the refrigerator as soon as possible after purchase. Cartons reduce water loss and protect flavours from other foods being absorbed into the eggs.
Best practice is to store eggs in the fridge; that way the temperature is always at a constant and your eggs will be fresher!
If eggs are left unwashed with the bloom intact, you can place them on your kitchen counter. Unwashed, room temperature eggs should keep for about two weeks. If you aren't planning to eat your eggs for a while, we recommend refrigerating them.
Eggs should not be stored on the refrigerator door, but in the main body of the refrigerator to ensure that they keep a consistent and cool temperature. Leftover raw egg whites and yolks should be put in airtight containers and stored in the refrigerator immediately.
In Europe, farms vaccinate chickens against salmonella. That means the cuticle is still intact when eggs are sold. Refrigerating eggs with the cuticle intact could actually cause mildew to grow. Which could cause… you guessed it salmonella contamination.
Many European countries, like the UK, vaccinate their hens to prevent the transmission of salmonella when the hens lay eggs. The vaccinations, in conjunction with the protection of the “cuticle,” are thought to protect the European eggs from bacteria, therefore they don't refrigerate their eggs.
If, however, you purchase eggs fresh from the farm — or collect them from your backyard coop — those eggs can be kept unrefrigerated at room temperature for 14 to 21 days. But there's also no harm in putting them in the fridge to extend their shelf life a little longer.
Refrigerator Storage: Refrigerate eggs at 40°F or less. Store them in their original carton on an inside shelf and away from pungent foods. The temperature on an inside shelf remains more constant than one on the door, which is opened and closed frequently.
Egg washing is not required in Australia, but sale of dirty eggs is prohibited by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). Storing washed eggs below 7°C can help reduce the ability of Salmonella to grow.
British authorities actually discourage refrigerating eggs on the theory that chilling and then warming could create condensation, which would allow salmonella to penetrate the shell.
Most countries do not store their eggs in refrigerators. Instead, they leave them out at room temperature. This might seem like a food safety hazard, but both methods are safe. Salmonella is most commonly associated with chickens, and with eggs.
Most people will still put them in the fridge at home, but because in Germany and most of Europe eggs are not washed and sterilized, unlike in the US and Canada, whereby the protective layer on the outside can be damaged, eggs don't HAVE to be refrigerated so the store sells them on the shelf.
Husbandry and hygiene practices in Europe
In Europe, it is unlawful to wash eggs because this process is believed to damage an outside layer of the egg shell known as the cuticle, making it easier for bacteria to penetrate the inside of an egg.
Yes, unwashed freshly-laid eggs from backyard chickens or a local farm can safely be stored at room temperature for several days or even a couple of weeks.
The practice of storing eggs in lime water goes back centuries, and it's still one of the best ways to preserve eggs without refrigeration. Anyone who has kept chickens knows that egg production doesn't always line up with demand.
Did you know that American eggs would be illegal in a British supermarket because they are washed and British eggs would be illegal in a US supermarket because they are unwashed? It is generally best to leave the egg unwashed.
Here's What Fresh Eggs Daily Tells Us:
And farmers have up to 30 days to go from when the egg is laid to the carton. That means those supermarket eggs can be two months old by the time you buy them.