Egg washing?

[17 chickens]

That's actually backwards. If you leave them out you can not wash them. When you wash them you remove the bloom which is the protective coating that keeps the harmful bacteria from entering the egg. Which leaves you susceptible to food poisoning. The cold from the refrigerator opens the pores in the egg, which also allows harmful bacteria to enter. So if you choose to refrigerate, you should always wash first.

You are correct! Just wanted to add something to your comment, You can use lite grit sandpaper then a dry paper towel to wipe them off or you can use water to wash but has to be 20 degrees warmer then the egg. This is to keep the pores on the egg from not opening. If you google your state and egg washing laws or your state and egg selling laws it should bring up the section on washing. I sell all my eggs and have over 100 hens and growing this year by double the hens. So I know our laws in Washington state.

 

[RESQME49]

You are correct! Just wanted to add something to your comment, You can use lite grit sandpaper then a dry paper towel to wipe them off or you can use water to wash but has to be 20 degrees warmer then the egg. This is to keep the pores on the egg from not opening. If you google your state and egg washing laws or your state and egg selling laws it should bring up the section on washing. I sell all my eggs and have over 100 hens and growing this year by double the hens. So I know our laws in Washington state.

Can you elaborate? What do you personally do and what does Washington state say? I’m near Olympia

 

[17 chickens]

If you pull up a search on selling eggs in Washington state or USDA egg selling Washington state it will bring up the laws. In Washington you can sell eggs from where your chickens are to the public but they must pick them up only and you have to be under 3000 birds to not be a licensed business. If you want to sell eggs or deliver eggs off the area where your chickens are and or you have over 3000 chickens then you have to be USDA inspection and have a business license. If you can't find it let me know and I'll post a link to it.

 

[17 chickens]

Egg Handling: Cleaning and Refrigeration

The following steps and procedures are the guidelines from the WSDA Shell Egg Producer Guidelines for Off-Farm Sales.
Hands must be thoroughly washed before starting egg handling and during egg handling to minimize cross-contamination of “finished” eggs.

Maintain clean and dry nest boxes, change nest material as needed to reduce dirty eggs. Gather eggs at least once daily.

Soon after collecting, clean eggs as needed. (Cleaning eggs refrigerated below 55 F may cause shells to crack or check.) Using only minimal cleaning protects the natural protective covering on the shell.

Acceptable egg cleaning methods include:
• dry cleaning by lightly “sanding” the stains or minimal dirty areas with sand paper;
• using potable water in a hand spray bottle and immediately wiping dry with a single service

paper towel; and/or
• briefly rinsing with running water spray and immediately wiping dry with a single service

paper towel.

The “wash” water should be a minimum of 90 F, which is warm “to the touch,” and shall be at least 20 F warmer than the temperature of the eggs to be washed.

Unacceptable cleaning methods include submerging shell eggs in water or any other solution or using cleaners that are not food grade and approved for shell egg cleaning.

Note that the porous eggshell is not impervious to odors, chemicals and “off” flavors.

Since eggs are a perishable food, “cleaned” eggs must be held under sanitary conditions with refrigeration temperatures at 45 F or less. The “cleaned” eggs can be packaged later.

Packaging Eggs and Labeling Cartons

Shell egg producers are required to sell eggs in any type of new packaging or container, provided that the eggs are protected from damage and/or adulteration. By adulteration we mean contact with leaking or damaged eggs or any other poisonous or deleterious substance that may render the contents injurious to health. Please note that it is unlawful to reuse old egg containers to package eggs. It is also unlawful to package eggs in containers labeled with another firm’s name and/or identification number.

There are very specific requirements for what needs to be on an egg container. Each new carton must include:
 Common name of the food: “Eggs”
 If other than a chicken egg, then the type of egg: “Duck”

 Quantity, the number of eggs: “One Dozen”  Name and address of the egg producer
 The statement: “Keep Refrigerated”

 

[17 chickens]

Can you elaborate? What do you personally do and what does Washington state say? I’m near Olympia

I just posted the info on egg washing in Washington state

 

[aart]

You can use lite grit sandpaper then a dry paper towel to wipe them off or you can use water to wash but has to be 20 degrees warmer then the egg.

This, IMO, is not a good idea, it crams part of the 'dirt' into the shell pores...and also removes the bloom. If you're going to 'clean' the egg, do it thoroughly if you want them to actually be clean and not just look clean.

Egg Handling: Cleaning and Refrigeration
The following steps and procedures are the guidelines from the WSDA Shell Egg Producer Guidelines for Off-Farm Sales.

Please provide the link from where you copied this?


Here's a good read:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/topic-of-the-week-cleaning-and-storing-eggs.1210529/

 

[Perris]

interestingly the regs in the EU are practically the opposite of those in the US. In particular, we must not wash eggs (no exceptions) and refrigeration is permitted only temporarily during transport, though consumers are advised to refrigerate after purchase. And the best before date is specified as 4 weeks from lay, which allows for them being left out on the counter and un-refrigerated. All of it supported by extensive research of course, as is US policy. Discuss

 

[17 chickens]

This, IMO, is not a good idea, it crams part of the 'dirt' into the shell pores...and also removes the bloom. If you're going to 'clean' the egg, do it thoroughly if you want them to actually be clean and not just look clean.

Please provide the link from where you copied this?


Here's a good read:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/topic-of-the-week-cleaning-and-storing-eggs.1210529/

This is Washington State USDA guide lines and if you go to their website that you can google you see that these are what we have to follow or be shut down!

 

[PlymouthRockBBredSebright]

Okay, washing is good, but no soap. Just cool water and a gentle wipe down with a paper towel. Don't wanna remove the bloom

 

[GC-Raptor]

I wash all my good eggs. In temps above 50s Fahrenheit, I wash after collecting. In colder temps I let eggs warm to room temperature, before washing. I clean under very warm running water with a nail brush.
I let air dry in an egg basket used only for drying clean eggs. (I collect eggs in a small pail). After eggs are dry I candle and place in egg carton and refrigerate. I write the date on carton when full. GC