Buying healthy eggs is a concern for many of us. Today, eggs are marketed in packs, smaller packages and bulk; but the priority of choice lies with the varieties that are hygienically packaged and are authentically labelled.
It is important to know that bulk eggs and the types that have brown shells and marketed as local eggs do not have a specific expiration date and are often of problem eggs types, having been rejected from the mother poultry centers.
Egg
Egg is the sperm cell (ovum) of a chicken, which is usually oval in shape and is laid biologically by the hen to reproduce, but is an important food source for humans.
The process of laying an egg takes 24 hours, so a hen can lay only one egg a day. Chickens and other poultry are widely raised around the world, and mass egg production is a global industry.
The average egg mass is 58 grams, excluding the shell. The shell of the egg is about half a millimeter thick with 90% composed of calcium carbonate. The color of the eggshell is related to the breed of chicken and is usually white or brown.
Eggs are a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals necessary for the human body. All the amino acids the body needs are found in the egg, while protein constitutes about 5.12% of the egg mass.
Buying Healthy Eggs
To make sure of buying healthy eggs, get the eggs you consume only from authorized centers that store eggs in the refrigerator.
Preferably, you should buy packaged eggs supplied by authorized units (having operation license by the country's veterinary organization), and if you are buying unpacked eggs, be sure of the date of production.
Never buy cracked eggs, but if they crack or assum breakage during transporting home, pour the cracked eggs contents into a clean, capped container and store in the refrigerator and consume it within maximum two days; never buy broken and dirty eggs and avoid buying those stored out of the refrigerator.
Washing the eggs
The egg shells have magnifying glass holes that can let moisture, gas and bacteria―including Salmonella― into the egg.
But nature has come up with a solution to this problem. Just before laying the egg, the hen leaves a protein-like mucus on the outer surface of it.
This protective layer, called the cuticle, closes the pores of the egg shell and prevents the transfer of bacteria from the outside of the egg into it.
However, this protective layer remains intact only as long as the egg is "unwashed". Washing and rinsing the egg may destroy this layer, leading to opening the pores of the egg.
If for any reason you want to wash your newly purchased eggs, it is better not to use soap or other detergents.
Because after washing, these chemicals may penetrate into the egg, and on the other hand, some cleaning chemicals would increase the permeability of the egg shell to bacteria.
Washing the eggs with cold water or soaking the eggs in it could also be problematic, because this would create a negative pressure inside the egg that may draw unwanted bacteria into the egg.
If you want to wash the eggs, use warm water. Washing with warm water expands the contents of the egg and prevents the contaminants from penetrating into it.
To After washing the egg, you need dry it and put it in the refrigerator. It is best to do the washing just before use.