I read this article a few weeks ago and thought someone on this thread might find it interesting.
I keep a clean coop, collect eggs, soft dry cloth wipe off if needed and keep on counter. If they manage to sit there more than a couple of weeks, they go into the fridge. I use an 18 holder egg tray so I can keep the eggs in order of collection so I am always using the oldest first. ~Kelly
http://www.forbes.com/sites/nadiaar...egal-in-a-british-supermarket-and-vice-versa/
One of the best articles I have read.
Honestly the USDA is not about protecting us from pathogens naturally in food. It is designed to make the garbage our food processing culture has created meet minimum safety guidelines. (Which are incredibly minimum)
We are so much safer by sticking to nature.
The egg standards were made for times when eggs would be in cold storage for up to a year!!!
"… because eggs were held in cold storage for much longer … before distribution – often up to a year after lay, explained Howard Magwire, Vice President of Government Relations, United Egg Producers, in a phone interview."
Plus the cold storage isnt to protect salmonella, its so that an infected egg hopefully doesn't become worse!
"research showed that eggs containing salmonella did not experience any prevalent growth in the number of salmonella cells when kept at room temperature for up to 21 days after purchase. Post 21 days however, and the eggs were heavily contaminated. Further research has shown that storing contaminated eggs in cooler temperatures prohibited the growth of bacteria within the egg over a considerably longer period of time."
Wetness is the eggs worst enemy, so why on earth would you ever want to make an egg wet?
"there’s also the possibility of micro-organisms migrating inside the egg under certain conditions. [one main condition is being wet!]
The eggs are then dried to remove excess moisture.
This last step is crucial because bacteria cannot penetrate a thoroughly dry egg shell. "
Very good article!
