Have you ever thought of the reason why Americans keep eggs on their fridge and not on their counter tops or anywhere else in the kitchen?
This is not the scenario in Asia and Europe. Eggs are seen on a tray outside the refrigerator or in their baskets out in the open air. It is even sold at room temperature. Is there something wrong with any of the two practices?
According to NPR, Americans, Australians, Scandinavians and the Japanese follow the same routine of washing the eggs and refrigerating them while the Europeans and the Asians let the unwashed eggs sit on their kitchen until they use it.
For a long time, various countries had their own way of washing eggs. But since the process was not standardized, so many eggs were wasted and rotten. It was only in 1970 when the US Department of Agriculture had come out with the standard technique of washing the eggs through the use of a machine.
All the countries followed except for the Europeans and the Asians. In 1990s, Japan joined the 'egg-washers' after a bad fate of salmonella struck the country.
"The egg is a marvel in terms of protecting itself, and one of the protections is this coating, which prevents them from being porous," claims Michael Ruhlman, a food writer and author of Egg: A Culinary Exploration of the World's Most Versatile Ingredient.
According to Yi Chen, a food scientist at Purdue University, the outer layer acts as a safety protector for the egg. It retains the oxygen and water and gets rid of the bacteria. Washing takes away the layer and enhances the opportunities for bacteria to attack into the hairline cracks of the shell.
"So we spray eggs with oil to prevent bacteria from getting in, and refrigerate them to keep microorganisms at bay," Yi Chen continues.
Some countries can't afford to refrigerate the eggs the whole process from the farm to the stores. Once the chain was broken, Salmonella can contaminate and cause disease. The trick is to be consistent whether you refrigerate the eggs or leave it in the tray out in the air.
