11 Signs Eggs Are Not Safe To Eat

No matter the meal, eggs are a kitchen staple, so it's important to know the telltale signs for when they're no longer safe to eat. There's more to scoping out a bad egg than meets the eye, so let's get cracking. When it comes to ensuring the freshness of eggs, the label on the carton is often the first point of reference. A sell by date indicates the last day a store should sell the eggs for peak freshness and serves as a guideline for retailers rather than consumers. Eggs are still safe to eat for a period after the date if stored properly. Meanwhile, an expiration date is the manufacturer's recommendation for the last day to consume the eggs for optimal taste and safety. It signifies the point at which the eggs may begin to deteriorate in quality and increase the risk of bacterial contamination. Consuming eggs after the expiration date could pose health risks. The lesser known pack date reveals when the eggs were packaged or processed. It can also be useful for determining freshness, especially when there is no sell by or expiration date available. Eggs are typically safe to eat for four to five weeks after the pack date if stored correctly. If you keep them refrigerated, you can use You can safely eat those eggs for about 30 days after that date, as long as they're in your fridge. Although useful indicators, blindly abiding by these dates is not always necessary. Eggs can often remain safe and perfectly edible for longer than indicated on the carton, so it can be helpful to combine this information with other signs that indicate their freshness. One of the most obvious signs that eggs may not be safe to eat is if their shells display visible cracks or breaks. The shell serves as the egg's primary defense against contaminants, so any damage to its integrity increases the risk of bacterial growth inside. In addition to compromising the contents, cracked shells can also impact freshness and overall quality, since the protective barrier that seals in moisture and prevents air from entering is damaged. When inspecting eggs for cracks or breaks, make sure to examine them carefully from all angles. Sometimes. Sometimes cracks may be small or not immediately visible. This guy is going through all the eggs. Look, this has been going on for 20 minutes now. What's he looking for? Said he has to find the perfect dozen. Running your fingers gently over the surface of the egg can help detect any irregularities in texture or structure. If you discover an egg with a cracked or broken shell, it's best to discard it rather than risk consuming contaminated or spoiled contents. While it may be tempting to try to salvage the egg by cooking it thoroughly, the risk of bacterial contamination remains high, especially if the egg has been sitting at room temperature for an extended period. Another telltale sign of a spoiled egg is the presence of a slimy coating on its shell. This is likely to be indicative of bacterial contamination and spoilage, so make sure to exercise caution when handling discard it immediately and be sure to thoroughly wash your hands. Consuming eggs infected with harmful bacteria like Salmonella, a common culprit associated with foodborne illness, poses a significant health risk. Salmonella can be present both on the shell of an egg and in the contents too. Encountering eggs with a powdery substance on the shell also warrants caution, as it may indicate a potential contamination with mold or fungus. Fungal infection may be visible as a green, powdery or fuzzy black coating on the shell. Mold growth is most likely to occur if eggs have been stored in a warm, humid, or unhygienic environment during handling and transport. Those signs of mold are typically noticed on the shell first. It can also contaminate the contents of the egg. In this case, you might see black spots on the inside of the shell. An egg with this appearance could be dangerous to ingest, so it's best to swiftly dispose of it rather than risk potential illness. If you're unsure about the quality of an egg, the water test is your go to option. This simple method is an effective way to assess the freshness of an egg, as it offers valuable clues about the internal condition based on buoyancy. Simply place the egg in a large bowl or tall glass of water. Fresh eggs have a higher density than water because there are fewer gases inside, causing them to easily sink and stay on the bottom of the glass. So you'll know before you break that out out of its shell that that's quite a fresh egg. As eggs age, they begin to decompose, producing gases that build up inside the egg. This results in a decreasing density, which makes the eggs more buoyant. When placed in water. Older eggs will tilt upwards or even float due to the larger gas bubble pushing them upwards. The US Department of Agriculture or USDA suggests that a floating egg may still be perfectly safe to consume, but recommends cracking the egg open to check for unpleasant odors or visible signs of spoiling before deciding whether to use it. Another test that can shed light on whether an egg is safe for consumption is candling. This method involves shining a bright light onto an egg to see what's going on inside. When you shine a light through a less than fresh egg in a dim room, you might notice a sizable air bubble. Fresh eggs usually have a tiny air cell at one end, barely noticeable to the naked eye, but this air pocket expands as eggs age. When you shine a light at the shell, the light passes through the air cell, which will be more visible the larger it gets. Like the water test, as long as the egg doesn't show any other signs of spoilage, it's likely still safe to eat if cooked properly. Perhaps the most powerful tool for assessing egg freshness is your sense of smell. Fresh eggs typically have a neutral odor, so if you detect an unpleasant or foul smell emanating from an egg, it's a pretty strong sign that eating it is a no go. With improper storage or age, bacterial growth can occur, leading to the breakdown of proteins and the release of toxic chemicals. The presence of a foul odor in eggs is often a associated with the production of hydrogen sulfide, a particularly potent gas that your nostrils will certainly recognize. If you're unsure about the smell of an intact egg, crack it into a bowl. This should give you a more definitive answer, as the sulfur like smell of a bad egg will be pretty unmistakable. I I know that smell. Me too. Oh my God, it's an egg. A rotten egg. A visual inspection of the egg whites is another great way to determine the freshness and safety of eggs. Egg whites should have a clear or slightly translucent appearance, so the presence of green or pink discoloration is a real cause for concern. It's often attributed to spoilage by bacteria such as Pseudominus as they multiply. This leads to the formation of pigments in the egg whites that can impart a pink or greenish hue. Eating an egg contaminated with Pseudominus is likely to result in a pretty nasty case of food poisoning. It's essential to note that not all eggs with unusual discoloration are necessarily unsafe to eat. For example, the appearance of blood spots in the egg can be a sign of ruptured blood vessels in the yolk and does not pose any risks. Overcooking a boiled egg can also result in the formation of a green ring around the yolk. This is due to a reaction between sulphur in the egg white and iron in the yolk. Despite the slightly odd appearance, A yolk that's green simply because it's overcooked is fine to eat. While fresh egg whites are typically thick and viscous, the presence of a runny, watery consistency can signal potential issues with the quality. When cracked open, a fresh egg white should hold its shape and not spread excessively, or else it may no longer be fresh. Commercial egg producers use egg white height as a measurement to determine freshness. Eggs are first weighed and then cracked, so the height of the egg white can be measured. This produces a value in high units which has a scale ranging from zero to 110, according to the poultry site. A higher value means a fresher egg with at least 60 high units. Being a suitable value for selling runny egg whites can result from storing the eggs at high temperatures or in an environment where the humidity is too low. It is important to note that not all eggs with runny whites are necessarily unsafe to eat. Some other factors, such as the age of the hen, can contribute to changes in consistency. However, if the runny texture is pronounced or accompanied by other signs of spoilage, it's best to discard the egg. Fresh egg yolks typically have a rounded, firm shape and a vibrant yellow or orange color. This sunny hue comes from the hens diet, with corn and soy fed hens producing more yellow yolks and an orange tone resulting from a carotenoid rich diet. However, a flattened or discolored yolk can indicate potential issues with the egg's quality. When cracked open, a fresh egg yolk should have an obvious domed shape. If the yolk appears flattened or sunken, it may suggest that the egg is no longer fresh. Additionally, A discolored yolk, such as one it appears pale or mottled, can also be a sign that something is amiss. This unsightly issue can occur when eggs are stored at high temperatures or if hens have been fed a nutrient, poor diet, or consumed certain types of medication. Although it's common for eggs to have some level of blotchiness, stale eggs are much more likely to have severe modelling, so this serves as a useful indicator. Though shaking an egg might seem like an odd way to gauge its freshness, it's another nifty method that can help you determine whether it's safe to eat. While a fresh egg won't make any noise when shaken, you might hear a faint sloshing sound when shaking one that isn't so fresh. Similar to the float test, the result you get is dependent on the build up of gases inside the egg. Fresh eggs have a smaller gas filled air cell at their rounded end, but as eggs age, that air cell expands, creating a bit of wiggle room inside the shell. When you shake them, there's more space for the liquid tends to slosh around and make a noise. The USDA does not recommend using this test alone to establish whether an egg is safe to eat. Some fresh eggs might still make a slight noise, and older eggs might not, but if you hear a noticeable sloshing sound, it's another sign the egg may be past its prime.