Most food products come with an expiration date, and as diligent buyers, most people opt for items that are as far away from their expiration date as possible. But, did you know those dates are merely a standard of quality rather than a safety standard? In reality, there’s no fixed rule as to when food actually expires. For instance, honey, dried beans, pulses, and rice grains stay fresh for months, but an item like eggs may expire very soon.
So, do eggs have an expiry date at all? Moreover, how safe is it to eat old eggs that may have expired?
Let’s Hear From the Experts
The USDA (United States Departments of Agriculture) has shared that although fresh eggs don’t last quite long, they’re safe to consume within five weeks of purchase. However, you must ensure to store egg cartons below 40 degrees Fahrenheit; this temperature is normally the coldest part of the fridge. In case you’ve left the eggs outside for a long period, the eggs are bound to go bad.
Just like most expired food, consuming expired eggs can quite easily cause indigestion or food poisoning. However, on the extreme side, consuming rotten eggs can lead to serious health complications.
To check if your carton of eggs has indeed gone bad, you determine its quality via a smell test. If the odor has a sulphuric tinge to it, then the eggs are definitely rotten. In case you still can’t tell if your eggs have expired, just do a simple float test.
How to do the float test
The test is simple. You just need to gently drop the egg into a bowl of water. If the egg is fresh, it will sink to the bottom and lay to one side. If it sinks to the bottom and stands on its tip, it indicates that the egg is not really fresh, but still can be consumed. But if the egg floats instead of sinking, then it’s definitely rotten.
Despite being fresh, eggs can still sometimes be contaminated with infections like Salmonella. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) says that if an egg is infected by this bacteria (which is also responsible for causing food poisoning), consuming it can cause stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and other such symptoms. The side effects are mostly experienced 12-72 hours after consumption and usually subside within a few days.
Significant exposure to Salmonella can even cause inflammation, joint pain, and arthritis. This is why it is extremely important to store eggs the right way. It has been recommended by the FDA to purchase eggs only if they’re sold from refrigerators. Moreover, hard-boiled eggs are only consumable for up to one week with refrigeration, and other cooked eggs last only up to four days.
All said and done…
Now that you’re aware of the complications of eating rotten eggs, it’s best to store them the right way so you can consume them without worrying about any of the other issues.