How to quickly identify a bad egg? | To eat

“There are three things that can make an egg inedible,” Professor Defleger begins. “The fungi can pass through the pores of the shell and cause a kind of thread formation that spoils the egg white,” says Frank Devleger, a food microbiologist at Ghent University. “You'll notice that when you break an egg: you'll see those fungal hyphae. This type of decomposition happens slowly, as the fungi have to travel a long distance.

The second form of spoilage is bacteria that move from outside the egg through the white to the yellow yolk and make the egg go bad. Once there, things happen quickly: bacteria multiply, causing all sorts of putrid phenomena, such as the typical sulfur formation accompanied by black discoloration. This color change is caused by iron and sulfur coming together there. By the way, it doesn't always have to be black. The egg can also suddenly turn orange, green, or red. The third form is more annoying: salmonella. “It either has to be there from the beginning, or it has to pass through the shell and then end up in the yolk.”

There is a distinct difference between these three forms and this difference is important when determining whether or not an egg is still edible. “The first two have to grow to a higher level before you can really see, smell and taste it. Salmonella, on the other hand, makes you sick right away. Only a few eggs — about three — per 10,000 eggs are contaminated with salmonella. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but we eat A lot of raw eggs, with mayonnaise for example or chocolate mousse and sabayon. So every preparation of them is risky. The only thing that helps is that the salmonella disappears when you fry the egg.

“You see it less quickly than you would with a bad apple. There's a trick to notice quickly: Put the egg in the water,” says Devleger. “It helps you figure out how old the egg is. A fresh egg will sink because there is almost no air in such an egg. After a while, air enters the egg, because the eggshell does not form a 100% good protection layer. The peel contains small pores that allow bacteria and air to pass through. This happens slowly, but the air pocket then becomes larger. The egg initially stands upright in the water, and after a while it floats. Tip: If you heat water to cook an egg, place it in cold water first. If it sinks, it is fresh. If it floats, it’s old.”

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Although this does not mean that the egg automatically goes bad. “It just says it's a four- to six-week-old egg. The egg has a long shelf life, because the bacteria must first travel through the shell, the membrane, the egg white and the yolk. This doesn't happen immediately. You usually find the expiration date on the egg carton, Which is usually about 4 weeks after the date of laying.With this trick you can easily find out if the egg is still edible after this date.

The second trick to finding out: crack the egg. “If you see discoloration or lines of mold, throw it away. Do you suspect the smell? Definitely don't use it again. It's hard to appreciate from the outside. If you break it, you can immediately see and smell if it can still be eaten. The only thing is What you cannot see with the naked eye or smell is salmonella contamination.

“There are two ways: at room temperature, on the kitchen counter or in the refrigerator. The big advantage of the refrigerator is that it is very difficult for bacteria to move to the yolk. Bacteria need energy to move, and the cold robs them of that energy. When it is cold in the refrigerator, The film remains stable for a longer period of time and is therefore more resistant to bacteria and air. A disadvantage of keeping them in the refrigerator is that once the refrigerator is opened, the egg comes into contact with cold air and warm air from outside. This causes condensation. This water can cause mold and bacteria. Storing eggs in boxes helps Cardboard helps avoid this, as the box provides extra insulation.There is no such condensation on the work surface, but then the chance of salmonella is greater: cold temperatures prevent salmonella growth.

“In principle, they are the same as those found in commercial and industrial production. The only drawback is that there is no quality control here as with artificial eggs. For example, there is a greater risk of contracting salmonella, because they have not been checked. Eggs found in Your garden is a little dirtier and has some faeces on it, so make sure you rinse it well to avoid contamination with salmonella.

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