Why do we refrigerate eggs?

[skizziks]

Travelling through Mexico and Guatemala ive noticed they dont refrigerate eggs. They have them on shelves in the store. Ive been buying and eating the eggs and so far so good.

Then I remembered, they dont refrigerate eggs in France or Germany either, and probably not much of europe.

So why do we refrigerate eggs in the states?

[Vigilante]

Well I know in europe they irradiate food to sterilize it, then it lasts much longer at room temp than unsterilized foods. The US doesn't (or didn't last I checked) do this because the general public freaks out.

It's kind of like when your mother tells you not to stand in front of the microwave because she wants to have grandchildren. The truth is the microwave might cook you, but your DNA will remain intact. It doesn't harm you that way. Same with irradiated foods. There is no residual effect, except the food has no living bacteria. That's it. Every redneck, conspiracy theorist and generally paranoid mom in america would freak the fuck out if their food got zapped, though.

Anyways, that is my guess as to why you saw eggs on the shelf. Same with milk etc.

[Tully Mars]

Originally Posted by skizziks

Travelling through Mexico and Guatemala ive noticed they dont refrigerate eggs. They have them on shelves in the store. Ive been buying and eating the eggs and so far so good.

Then I remembered, they dont refrigerate eggs in France or Germany either, and probably not much of europe.

So why do we refrigerate eggs in the states?

I don't know. I know I don't anymore but did prior to moving to Mexico. Been doing that for over a year now and haven't had any problems. Of course once their cooked I do refrigerate any left overs.

[Randerolf]

When I visited China, the same question came up also. I still am not totally sure, but I do have a background in restaurant management and food safety.

My guess is that the eggs keep longer and are safer to eat when transported and kept refrigerated. Certain temperature ranges along with other factors can discourage bacterial growth. If you've got the extra cash and you get your food from long distances, refrigerate?

Edit: Just to color in the edges, I'm sure the shopping behavior of these countries are different (Frequency and amount of purchase).

[Vigilante]

Originally Posted by Tully Mars

I don't know. I know I don't anymore but did prior to moving to Mexico. Been doing that for over a year now and haven't had any problems. Of course once their cooked I do refrigerate any left overs.

You don't refrigerate eggs? See that's weird to me. They might be able to sit on the shelf for a while, but eggs go bad so easy that I wouldn't risk that. AFAIK, they are nowhere near sterile in the carton.

[Tully Mars]

Originally Posted by luciferase75

You don't refrigerate eggs? See that's weird to me. They might be able to sit on the shelf for a while, but eggs go bad so easy that I wouldn't risk that. AFAIK, they are nowhere near sterile in the carton.

How long is a while?

I've been buying them off the self now for over a year and they sit in a wire basket hanging in my kitchen. I have no idea how long they've sat on the shelf. I eat a boiled egg with and apple and a can of V-8 every morning. So I go through a dozen in no more then two weeks. Been doing this for some time now and according to all my neighbors they've been doing this for most of their lives. Don't know about them but I'm certain the eggs have never made me ill.

[LordEden]

USPH I think is the big reason. That and they last longer when they stay at cooler temperatures. If I remember my Servsafe (USPH food handling class), all dairy HAS to be refrigerated, but it's been a year and I could be wrong.

[roachboy]

Why do we refrigerate eggs?

to keep them from escaping. it makes them sleepy.

[Vigilante]

Originally Posted by Tully Mars

How long is a while?

I've been buying them off the self now for over a year and they sit in a wire basket hanging in my kitchen. I have no idea how long they've sat on the shelf. I eat a boiled egg with and apple and a can of V-8 every morning. So I go through a dozen in no more then two weeks. Been doing this for some time now and according to all my neighbors they've been doing this for most of their lives. Don't know about them but I'm certain the eggs have never made me ill.

You might be used to the local fauna as well. If you have local eggs, but did this with US eggs I bet you'd get an upset stomach.

I don't know how long to define a "while". It's subjective, both on my side and the eggs' side.
-----Added 24/11/2008 at 10 : 57 : 49-----

Originally Posted by LordEden

If I remember my Servsafe (USPH food handling class), all dairy HAS to be refrigerated, but it's been a year and I could be wrong.

See in europe I believe they don't refrigerate dairy at all after the irradiation. They might to cool it off if they like it cold, but many places keep it on the shelf. It's supposed to last for weeks or maybe even months like this.

[snowy]

Originally Posted by luciferase75

See in europe I believe they don't refrigerate dairy at all after the irradiation. They might to cool it off if they like it cold, but many places keep it on the shelf. It's supposed to last for weeks or maybe even months like this.

In Europe milk typically comes packed in a Tetra Pak, which is aseptic packaging, like what soy milk comes in here. Packaging it this way makes it shelf-stable. A couple of companies have tried selling shelf-stable milk in the United States, but it seems that American consumers can't get over the idea that milk should be refrigerated.

As for eggs, I don't know for sure, but I would guess it has something to do with our fear of contracting salmonella from said eggs (specifically salmonella enterica), despite the fact that the odds of contracting salmonella from eggs is very low (only 1 in every 30,000 is suspected to have salmonella).

[Tully Mars]

Originally Posted by onesnowyowl

In Europe milk typically comes packed in a Tetra Pak, which is aseptic packaging, like what soy milk comes in here. Packaging it this way makes it shelf-stable. A couple of companies have tried selling shelf-stable milk in the United States, but it seems that American consumers can't get over the idea that milk should be refrigerated.

This is how milk is sold here. I've never noticed any milk in the refrig. section. Never really looked for it either. Just noticed there's a entire aisle with milk in boxes, not cooled, in every store. 1L "Tetra Brik" is the norm. This, like many things, was difficult to get used to- sort of a mini culture sock at times.

[Vigilante]

Originally Posted by onesnowyowl

despite the fact that the odds of contracting salmonella from eggs is very low (only 1 in every 30,000 is suspected to have salmonella).

I don't know. I get something from free range eggs all the time, if I don't cook them. If my wife is making cake batter and I eat some with free range eggs, more often than not I get a little irritated later. Nothing bad, but enough to know something is off. With white eggs I never really had that problem.

[lostgirl]

The reason eggs have to be refrigerated in the US, is because of the commercial processing of the eggs. They are washed before being packaged.
An egg has what is called a "bloom" on it which is natures way of preserving the egg. If you wash the egg, you will remove the bloom and the egg contents will deteriorate very quickly.

[snowy]

Originally Posted by luciferase75

I don't know. I get something from free range eggs all the time, if I don't cook them. If my wife is making cake batter and I eat some with free range eggs, more often than not I get a little irritated later. Nothing bad, but enough to know something is off. With white eggs I never really had that problem.

Free range, organic, humane, and conventional eggs are all processed the same way, and all go through the same cleaning process lostgirl referred to in her post. Also, not all free range eggs are brown. I buy free range farm eggs at the farmer's market that are white.

Also, salmonella won't cause you to get a little irritated. Salmonellosis, the infection from salmonella bacteria, will cause you to become best friends with the toilet for at least 24 hours. It's nothing like conventional diarrhea, and it comes out both ends.

I'll never eat chicken tempura again, that's certain.

[ngdawg]

Snowy's correct. People used to think that the brown eggs were somehow healthier, but the only difference between brown and white eggs is the breed of hen that lays them.

[Charlatan]

They don't refrigerate eggs here either. It kind of freaked me out when I first saw it but I've adjusted.

As for milk in tetra paks... the milk that is shelf stable is UHT (ultra high temperature) milk. I don't like the taste of UHT milk so I always choose the fresh milk from the dairy case. That said, it's about a 50/50 split here between UHT and HTST pasteurized milk (compared to North America where it is almost 100% HTST). This is probably due to smaller refrigerators in most households (i.e. not as much space to store chilled milk).

Originally Posted by wikipedia

Ultra-high temperature processing or (less often) ultra-heat treatment (both abbreviated UHT) is the partial sterilization of food by heating it for a short time, around 1-2 seconds, at a temperature exceeding 135°C (275°F), which is the temperature required to kill spores in milk.[1] The high temperature also reduces the processing time, thereby reducing the spoiling of nutrients. The most common UHT product is milk, but the process is also used for fruit juices, cream, yoghurt, wine, soups, and stews.[1]UHT milk was invented in the 1960s, and became generally available for consumption in 1970s.[2]

High heat during the UHT process can cause Maillard browning and change the sensory characteristics of dairy products.[3]

UHT milk has a typical shelf life of six to nine months, until opened. It can be contrasted with HTST pasteurization (high temperature/short time), in which the milk is heated to 72°C (161.6°F) for at least 15 seconds.

[ironman]

I'm Guatemalan, and we never ever refrigerate them unless you wash them after bringing them home. If an egg is exposed to water it goes bad really quick, otherwise, eggs do have a very long shelf life. I've found that cooking refrigerated eggs is harder and the flavor of it tends to change, but that's just me anyway...

[snowy]

I actually bought some UHT shelf-stable milk today for my pantry. It's going to be my back-up milk. The price was about the same as regular milk.

[skizziks]

Originally Posted by ironman

I'm Guatemalan, and we never ever refrigerate them unless you wash them after bringing them home. If an egg is exposed to water it goes bad really quick, otherwise, eggs do have a very long shelf life. I've found that cooking refrigerated eggs is harder and the flavor of it tends to change, but that's just me anyway...

not just you. the trick to a great omlette is to let the eggs come to room temperature

[thingstodo]

Originally Posted by skizziks

not just you. the trick to a great omlette is to let the eggs come to room temperature

Well said! In fact, everything cooks better at room termerature partially because you don't cool the pot or pan down when you add more ingredients.

We get eggs from a local farmer and they come in mmany colors. Sometimes it looks like we have an easter basket!

I also learned you can tell how fresh an egg is by placing them on a bowl of water. The fresher they are the lower they are in the water. Boiled eggs peel easier when they aren't as fresh, so if they float but not to the surface they are perfect for boiling whereas if they are on the bottom, wait a few days.

[MSD]

Originally Posted by onesnowyowl

In Europe milk typically comes packed in a Tetra Pak, which is aseptic packaging, like what soy milk comes in here. Packaging it this way makes it shelf-stable. A couple of companies have tried selling shelf-stable milk in the United States, but it seems that American consumers can't get over the idea that milk should be refrigerated.

As for eggs, I don't know for sure, but I would guess it has something to do with our fear of contracting salmonella from said eggs (specifically salmonella enterica), despite the fact that the odds of contracting salmonella from eggs is very low (only 1 in every 30,000 is suspected to have salmonella).

I read in the past week that it's more like 1 in over 200000. Either way, people are way too paranoid about it.

[Rekna]

Originally Posted by lostgirl

The reason eggs have to be refrigerated in the US, is because of the commercial processing of the eggs. They are washed before being packaged.
An egg has what is called a "bloom" on it which is natures way of preserving the egg. If you wash the egg, you will remove the bloom and the egg contents will deteriorate very quickly.

+1

This is the reason...