Washing Chicken Eggs

[kennys chicks]

My Golden comets just started laying eggs yesterday. Is it necessary to sanitize them before eating? They are very clean looking. I just do not want to chance my family getting sick.

 

[mickey328]

When I gather them I just scrape of anything with my fingernail, but they're usually really clean. That's about all I do for "cleaning". They go straight to the fridge (when I get back in the house, LOL). We've had absolutely no health issues. The "bloom" on them when freshly laid dries quickly and provides a natural barrier that keeps bacteria out, so we never wash them.

HTH
Mickey

 

[kennys chicks]

Thank you , I appreciate the advice!​

 

[Shelz]

. Is it necessary to sanitize them before eating?

Good question...I was wondering the same thing! I didnt know if most people just rinsed them off under the faucet,or if they needed to be disinfected with some type of solution.. Ive seen online, that they sell all kinds of "egg cleaning" sprays.....and of course, commercially- they are washed in a chlorine bath of some sort.

 

[mickey328]

I had wondered the same thing. At first we rinsed them under cool tap water, but on the advice of the wonderful folks here at BYC, we switched and it's been just grand

 

[Judy]

Commercial operations are required to wash them, whether that's for the best or not. It does prevent poopy eggs from making it to the store.

I never wash a clean egg; I let the bloom do its job. A poopy egg gets rinsed under water that is warmer than the egg (so any bacteria tend to migrate out instead of in) and gets used first. To be really safe, you would hard boil an egg like this, or use in a cake, etc. -- anything that cooks it thoroughly, as this kills salmonella.