Why We Don’t Wash Our Eggs

This is something that always comes up when we sell eggs to customers. Do we wash our eggs or not?

The short answer is yes and no. The long answer is we try to avoid it whenever we can.

Why is that, you ask?

Eggs have a special coating on the outside called the bloom. This bloom protects the porous egg. Yes, eggs have pores. Small openings that allow oxygen to enter the eggs so that the baby chick can breathe. However, these small openings come with a price. Bacteria and pathogens can enter. God had a plan for that, the bloom.

Pathogens have a hard time getting into a dry egg. As soon as you wash the egg, that bloom is removed and the chances of bacteria being introduced to the inside of the egg, increases. To top it off, if you wash it in cool/cold water, a vacuum is created and pathogens are pulled in quicker.

I know no one wants that.

People went for millennia eating eggs that weren’t washed or refrigerated. Clean, unwashed eggs can typically be stored at room temperature for ten to 14 days. People have come up with some bizarre ways to keep eggs longer, which you can check out HERE. Once an egg is refrigerated, it needs to stay that way until use. Cold eggs that are brought out to room temperature can sweat, driving bacteria into the egg.

Did you know that eggs in Europe are sold on the shelf at room temperature? In fact, our friends across the pond are often dumbfounded that we would even consider washing and storing eggs. So why is it done routinely in the US? Basically it boils down to government regulations. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are approximately 142,000 illnesses every year that are caused by consuming eggs contaminated with Salmonella [1]. These cases are largely due to the way commercial chickens are raised. Because of these conditions, eggs are washed, thus increasing the chance of pathogens being introduced. Plus, eggs that arrive on grocery shelves are often times already months old [2].

So why did I say yes and no? From time to time, we will get dirty eggs. Try as we might to keep things as clean as possible, eggs do get dirty. These eggs are lightly washed with warm water and then placed in the fridge. We DO NOT sell them to customers (we want you to have the highest quality of egg possible). Often times, if heavily soiled, they are washed and given to the dogs who don’t mind.

The best way to have the highest quality egg is to keep chickens as healthy as possible. This is extremely important to us. Our hens are feed a high quality soy-free, GMO-free feed. They are cage free and have access to the outdoors all day long. They also, have fresh water and clean bedding.

That’s it in an eggshell. Healthy chickens produce healthy eggs. Besides why mess with what God created to protect us?

1. https://www.medicaldaily.com/do-eggs-need-be-refrigerated-or-can-you-store-them-room-temperature-256872
2. https://www.delish.com/food-news/a45655/the-scary-thing-you-never-knew-about-grocery-store-eggs/