Here are a few simple ways to decide if eggs have spoiled: If the eggs are well past the expiration date on the carton, you probably need to assess them further before deciding if they’re still safe to eat. If the eggs are still within a few days or weeks of the expiration date and you’ve been storing them safely in the refrigerator, chances are they haven’t gone bad - though they may have begun to decline in quality. Nevertheless, the expiration date is one practical tool you can use to determine whether eggs have spoiled. Just because an egg has passed the date label shown on its carton, that doesn’t necessarily mean it has gone bad. However, eating old eggs that have been damaged or contaminated puts you at risk of getting sick from contracting the foodborne bacterium Salmonella. SummaryĮggs that are expired but not spoiled may still be perfectly fine to eat. However, in high-risk populations, the illness is more concerning because it can cause life threatening complications that require hospitalization. Most people recover from Salmonella infections, and their symptoms subside after only a few days. Some groups of people may be more susceptible than others to getting sick from eggs.īecause young children, older adults, and people with ongoing illnesses are at a higher risk of contracting Salmonella, it may be best for them to avoid expired, spoiled, and raw eggs altogether ( 3, 4). No kitchen thermometer on hand? Not to worry - just be sure to cook your eggs until the yolks are firm and the whites are no longer runny or translucent. The best way to avoid contracting a foodborne illness from a contaminated egg is to always cook your eggs to a minimum internal temperature of 160☏ (71☌) ( 3, 7, 9). This means that even if you’re doing everything right when it comes to storing fresh eggs, there may still be a small chance you could get sick from Salmonella. The bacteria could also continue to multiply even while eggs are in the refrigerator. It’s possible that Salmonella could be present on the inside or outside of eggs when you buy them. Salmonella bacteria are one of the most common causes of foodborne illness, causing side effects like fever, stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea ( 4). With proper storage, most eggs are still safe to eat after 5 weeks, though their quality and freshness will likely begin to decline.Įggs are a notoriously high risk food for the growth of Salmonella, a type of bacteria that live in and affect the digestive tracts of animals and humans ( 6, 7, 8). SummaryĮggs have an average shelf life of 3–5 weeks. Still, as long as they remain free of contamination from bacteria or mold, they may still be safe to eat for days or weeks longer. As the weeks go on, eggs will continue to diminish in quality even if you refrigerate them. They could lose flavor and color, and the texture might even be somewhat altered. With proper storage, eggs typically stay fresh 3–5 weeks past the pack date - the date they were gathered, cleaned, and stored in refrigeration.Īfter 5 weeks, your eggs might start to decline in freshness. This method numbers the days of the year consecutively, so January 1 is 001, January 2 is 002, December 31 is 365, and so on. It’s displayed as a three-digit number from 1–365. This notes the day the eggs were processed and packed into the carton. Shorthand for “expiration,” this is another way to label a “sell-by” date. At the sell-by date, the eggs may be around 4 weeks old. This date can be no more than 30 days after the pack date of the eggs. As long as the eggs don’t show signs of spoilage, they can still be sold and are considered safe to eat after this date. The eggs will be at peak quality and flavor if you eat them before this date, which is set by the manufacturer. Here are a few of the most common date labels on egg cartons in the United States ( 2): Date labels help you determine how long your eggs will stay fresh and safe to eat.Įggs are often labeled with the date they were processed and packed or an expiration date, though some eggs may not have any date labels at all, depending on the source and the regulations in your area. This is where date labels printed on egg cartons come in handy. Still, when you buy eggs at the store, it can be hard to know how long they’ve been sitting on the shelf and how much longer they’ll remain fresh once you bring them home. Once they’ve been opened, most milk and meats stay fresh in the refrigerator for only 1 week at most ( 1). In-shell eggs that have been washed and stored in the refrigerator stay fresh for an average of 3–5 weeks ( 1).Ĭompared with other perishable proteins, eggs actually have a notably longer shelf life.
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