Eggs should be kept in the fridge to avoid incidence of food poisoning, like salmonella

There has been many a heated debate about where to put your eggs

salmonella, some experts still recommend eggs are kept in the fridge 

Years ago, most of our condiments, including our eggs, were kept in the kitchen cupboard, but recently more and more of us are opting to move them into the fridge. Despite the fact that a new survey revealed us Brits are the least likely people in Europe to refrigerate our eggs.

So why is it that some people believe eggs, which have sat happily on our kitchen counters for so many years, should have to make the move into the cold?

Some eggs-perts *groans again* argue eggs should be kept in the fridge to avoid incidence of food poisoning, like salmonella. Indeed, The British Egg Information Service believes the only place to keep food cool and avoid temperature fluctuations is the fridge, hence the advice on egg packs and fridges actually coming with those little plastic egg holders in them.

Linda Nicolaides, a Microbiologist and an expert in Food Safety & Quality Management explains how eggs could contribute to the risk of salmonella.

“There is a low risk that eggs will become infected with Salmonella Enteritidis Phage type 4 at the point of laying,” she explains. “If this happens the bacterial cells present in low numbers will be “trapped” in the white (Albumen). In fresh eggs the albumen is too viscous to allow salmonellae to move from the point of infection. As the egg is stored it absorbs moisture from the air diluting the albumen. It takes approximately three weeks for the albumen to be liquid enough to allow Salmonella to swim from the albumen into the yolk, where they can use the surrounding nutrients to increase in numbers.”

“The government recommends that eggs should be eggs in the refrigerator in the domestic situation,” adds Linda. “However they should be used within three weeks of laying to make sure the yolk is Salmonella free.”

But not all eggs-perts (sorry, sorry!) agree. Dr Martin Goldberg, a lecturer in microbiology at Nottingham Trent University  he says. “When we find Salmonella in eggs, it is because they get in during formation of the eggs in the chickens’ oviducts.”

 Craig Mather, head chef at the Empire Room, Ramsgate 

“Egg shells are porous and will absorb flavours of other foods in the fridge, such as cheese (which shouldn’t be in the fridge either) or onions,” he adds.

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