Bacteria Or Poop

[joggerjayne]

Mums has started giving me eggs covered in poop.

Some insane old country weirdo told her that she shouldn't wash the eggs from her chickens because, if you wash them, then they are susceptible to bacteria.

(as an insane old country weirdo, he probably didn't use the word "susceptible")

So Mums has stopped washing them.

Some of the eggs she gives me are spotless (how does that work, when its been up a chicken's butt?).

But some of them are covered in ... well, frankly, chicken poop.

Not something I really want in my kitchen.

Does anyone know if there's any truth in this "don't wash the eggs" nonsense?

Or should she wash them, and then spray them with Dettol, or something like that?

[Sqad]

It really doesn't matter does it...........you are nor going to eat the eggs raw.
Frying, scrambling and poaching should kill any bacteria.

[RATTER15]

Eggs are covered with an invisible membrane, that is lost when you wash them, yes it is true, hopefully the chickens are vaccinated. if you want to wash the eggs prior to cooking that is fine. Do not spray any chemical on the eggs as the egg shells are porous and will take on the taste and smell and possibly the toxicity. Do not write on the eggs except with a pencil for the same reasons.

[joggerjayne]

Aha, that's a good point, sqad.

Maybe I'll wash them myself.

Although washing dried poop off an egg is a bit gross.

And I do occasionally eat them raw, whisked into a glass of milk.

[RATTER15]

Sqad, the point is that eggs can be kept for quite a few weeks, this time is quite dramatically reduced if the eggs are washed and they will go off much quicker. If we have dirty eggs we just rub it off with a dry scourer, that apparently does not remove this membrane (so I'm told)

[aelmpvw]

thanks ratter, now the missus will still stop drawing smiley faces on my hard boiled eggs

[sandyRoe]

Raw in mayonnaise, too. That's why I only use Heinz Salad cream now. There's probably no trace of egg in it.

[RATTER15]

If you are going to eat them raw I would ensure that they come from a vaccinated flock first.

[joggerjayne]

Wow, thanks RATTER.

So, points in turn ...

Yes, they are vaccinated. She bought them from a farm who gave her a form saying they were vaccinated. I didn't think much of it at the time, but maybe it was a good thing after all that they were vaccinated. I wonder if they had jabs??

[Sqad]

Ratter....I thOught that the " membrane" was inside the shell.

[joggerjayne]

(cont)

I didn't know the shells were porous.

And, err, I've been writing the date I get them in marker pen on the shell. So I shouldn't do that, then?

[joggerjayne]

LOL at smiley faces on eggs ...

:0)

:0)

[joggerjayne]

Sandy ...

I have Heinz salad cream too, because ...

1. I think mayo tastes too creamy

2. I like the slight sharpness of salad cream

3. I'm unsophisticated and a bit low rent

:0)

[joggerjayne]

Crikey, Olive's just arrived. She's early today.

[cazzz1975]

this is what puts me off eating fresh eggs from the chicken even though they are organic ect ect, the ones in tesco are clean and boxed which is very attractive :/

[LazyGun]

Really fascinating article on precisely this topic from Forbes, last year JJ that you might find informative.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/nadiaarumugam/2012/10/25/why-american-eggs-would-be-illegal-in-a-british-supermarket-and-vice-versa/

Opening paragraph from the article;
"Believe it or not, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) graded eggs would be illegal if sold in the UK, or indeed anywhere in the European Union (EU). It’s all to do with the fact that commercial American eggs are federally required to be washed and sanitized before they reach the consumer. EU egg marketing laws, on the other hand, state that Class A eggs – those found on supermarkets shelves, must not be washed, or cleaned in any way.

“In Europe, the understanding is that this mandate actually encourages good husbandry on farms. It’s in the farmers’ best interests then to produce to cleanest eggs possible, as no one is going to buy their eggs if they’re dirty, ” explained Mark Williams, Chief Executive, British Egg Industry Council in a phone interview.

According to the USDA, despite how conscientious and thorough modern day farm-management practices might be, there will still be a small percentage of “dirty eggs” produced. Dirt almost always equates to chicken manure and, if the eggs are produced in a free-range system, other raw agricultural commodities that hens might pick up from roaming freely.

Any feces on the exterior of an egg shell poses a food safety threat from potential cross-contamination if, say, a consumer cracks open an egg then proceeds to prepare a salad with those same bacteria-riddled hands. Since egg shells are porous, there’s also the possibility of micro-organisms migrating inside the egg under certain conditions."

[whiskeryron]

JJ. A guy goes out to lunch at a friend's house & his hostess says '' hope you like what I have prepared it's beef tongue'' he replied '' I wouldn't eat anything that's been in an animals mouth I'll have a boiled egg please''.

WR.

[joggerjayne]

I'm starting to go off eggs altogether.

[RATTER15]

JJ, eggs should be the least of your worries, at least they arent pumped full of chemical like most other things you may eat.

[Peter Pedant]

.

jay jay its not a chicken's butt but cloaca.

unified thingey - so presumably covered in pee as well as poo.


[shares the same name as the main sewer in auncient Rome, the Cloaca maxima]

[RATTER15]

Our chickens would be classed as organic if we could be bothered with all the red tape and legalities. stupid nonsense anyway. I used to work in a crereal processing unit, one of my first jobs was to spray all the incoming organic corn with a "non organic" insecticide to kill all the bugs, that stayed on the corn that was then supplied to one of the largest breakfast cereal producers in the UK, and the organic corn was buy far inferior in quality to to the Non organic to the point that we would often blend it with the non organic just to boost the quality. This organic malarkey is often just a scam to boost profits.