If you got your hands on some farm-fresh eggs, there are a few things you need to know. Farm-fresh eggs usually mean eggs that are unwashed, unpasteurized, and unrefrigerated. In this article we hope to explain why this is, safety precautions, and how they compare to stores bought eggs.
If you have farm-fresh eggs, here are some instructions for handling and care:
Keep the eggs dry.
Store the eggs at room temperature(60-80°).
Keep the eggs out of sunlight.
Do not wash the eggs!
Do not store the eggs in the refrigerator!
Use the eggs within 30 days!
NORTH CAROLINA LAW
In accordance with North Carolina State Law, we are allowed to sell unwashed and unpasteurized eggs as long as it doesn't exceed 30 dozens a week, but we have to label them as “Ungraded”, and cannot label them as “Fresh”.
If you see us giving away, or selling eggs, it is because our birds are producing more than we can consume and we don't want to throw them away, wasting perfectly good food.
OUR FLOCK
Because of city regulation, we may only have 6 or less hens and no roosters. At the time of this post, we have 5 Blackstar (sexlink) hens. They produce about 280-300 extra large brown eggs per year, per bird. This means we average around 3-5 eggs per day, to feed a family of 3.
OUR EGG QUALITY
Because we have no roosters, none of our eggs are fertilized. Therefore, you never have to worry about getting a partially developed chick.
Our chickens eat: Nutrena (NatureWise 16% Pellet Layer) feed as primary diet, plus an all natural organic non-GMO scratch feed from a local farmer in Rockwell, organic garden scraps, kitchen scraps(organic, whole foods only), and they get to free range in our backyard for about an hour, twice a week.
Our eggs are extra large brown eggs that weigh between 22-24 ounces each. If they were to be graded, they would be considered Grade A, but since North Carolina Law prohibits us from labeling them as “Grade A” or as “Fresh”, we have to label them “Ungraded” and we can use the terms “Farm-Fresh”.
We wash our hands before & after daily egg collection. This reduces the chance of contamination. We collect our eggs only from the nesting box located on the outside of the chicken coop and run, which also lowers the risk of contamination. Our eggs are sold in a new, unused, cardboard carton.
The eggs are unwashed, unpasteurized, and unrefrigerated.
WHY UNWASHED, UNPASTEURIZED, AND UNREFRIGERATED?
When eggs are laid, they are covered in an all natural protectant called a “bloom” or “cuticle”. This bloom is a very thin mucus coating that is naturally applied just before laying, that protects the egg from pathogens. This is how eggs in the wild last without becoming spoiled, or the chick dying from infection before hatching.
If you wash the egg, then you remove the natural bloom protecting the egg. Egg shells are naturally porous, which means pathogens can penetrate the egg, thus infecting it.
If you pasteurize the egg, you destroy the natural bloom. To pasteurize an egg, you need to heat it to a temperature of 140 degrees, usually through a warm water bath for 3.5 minutes to destroy pathogens.
If you refrigerate the egg, you destroy the natural bloom. The only reason to refrigerate an egg, is if you have washed or pasteurized it, which removes the protective bloom, and thus means you need the cold to slow the growth of pathogens.
THEN WHY DO COMMERCIALLY SOLD EGGS HAVE TO BE WASHED, PASTEURIZED, AND REFRIGERATED BY LAW?
Eggs are a commodity that is in high demand. Farmers mass produce them which increases the likelihood of dirty eggs, and sick birds. Dirty eggs are at higher risk of being infected with a pathogen. Rather than throw them away, they are washed. However, when you wash them you take a chance of rubbing pathogens into the egg, so then it needs to be pasteurized. After washing an egg, it no longer has natural protection, and therefore must be refrigerated at a low temperature of 33°- 40° to prohibit the growth and development of pathogens that it can naturally come into contact with.
This was made a law to prevent and punish farmers who try to cut corners regarding egg safety.
HOW LONG DO THE EGGS LAST?
Our eggs, which are unwashed, unpasteurized, and unrefrigerated, last about 30 days at room temperature (60°- 80°) if not in direct sunlight.
Compared to commercial eggs, that are washed, pasteurized, and refrigerated still only last about 30 days if they are maintained at a temperature between (33°- 40°).
HOW TO TELL IF THE EGG HAS GONE BAD?
The best way is through a smell test. If it stinks, don't eat it. This is why it is common practice among chefs to crack your eggs into a separate container before adding to a recipe.
Another way is the float check. You submerge the egg in water, and if it floats to the top it is “considered” not safe to eat. However, this doesn't mean it is not safe to eat, only that you shouldn't risk it. What happens is that over time air is absorbed through the shell. If you have ever cracked an egg, you'll see an air pocket between the inner membrane and the actual shell. The size of this air pocket can actually tell you how old the egg is. This is why eggs with large air pockets will float in water and are not considered safe to eat, since pathogens need air to thrive, but it doesn't guarantee they have pathogens.
UNUSUAL THINGS YOU MIGHT FIND WITHIN AN EGG
Bloodspots: tiny dots of red. This can be expected in any kind of egg and is normal and safe to eat.
Meatspots: small light brown globs of tissue. This can be expected in any kind of egg and is normal and safe to eat.
Fishy Odor & Flavor: this will happen if the chickens consume too much Omega-3’s(vitamin). Usually from eating too much seafood or flaxseed. While it might not be desirable, it is safe to eat. Our eggs shouldn't smell or taste fishy and if it does, don’t risk it and throw it out.
WHAT ARE SOME EXTRA SAFETY PRECAUTIONS?
Make sure the egg collectors wash their hands before egg collection, which we do.
Make sure eggs are collected only from a clean and well maintained nesting box that is accessible from outside the chicken coop and run to avoid cross contamination, which we do.
Avoid consuming eggs that have dirt, poop, or other debris on it. Do not attempt to spot wash it, as it will weaken the bloom and possibly rub pathogens into the egg where they can fester.
Avoid consuming eggs that have come into contact with moisture, such as handling the eggs with wet hands and left out to dry. This will leave slight discoloration even when the egg has dried(only noticeable in non-white eggs), indicating the bloom may have been weakened.
Avoid consuming eggs that have shell deformities, such thin spots, wrinkles, squishy soft, or extremely misshapen. This could be a sign of a sick bird. Any flecks or tiny calcium lumps are ok.
Avoid consuming raw eggs, regardless if they are processed or where they come from. They should be cooked to 165° to eliminate pathogens.
WHAT ARE THE ODDS FROM GETTING SICK FROM FARM-FRESH EGGS?
Getting sick from unwashed, unpasteurized, unrefrigerated eggs are exactly the same as getting sick from washed, pasteurized, refrigerated eggs.
The most common illness gotten from eggs is Salmonella, which can be eliminated by cooking your eggs to a temperature of 165° or higher. Statistically, according to the University Of California, 1 in 20,000 eggs contain Salmonella. So if you eat 1 egg a day for 54 years, you will have consumed one with Salmonella. However, that doesn’t mean that there is enough Salmonella present that your immune system can't fight it off without medical treatment. Anytime you eat raw egg, or “runny” egg, you are taking a risk, regardless if it is farm-fresh or commercially bought.
This brings me to Listeria, the third Leading cause of death from foodborne illness. The most common foods that give you Listeria infections are Deli Meats and Milk Products. However, almost all raw food, including fresh fruits and vegetables, contain Listeria. The reason I mention it here is because a common argument against farm-fresh eggs is the presence of Listeria. Whether you get sick or not, is determined by how much Listeria is present, and how strong your immune system is. Simply not because it is present. As always, cooking the egg to 165° eliminates the risk altogether.
As a personal note, pasteurizing eggs does nothing. As already mentioned, pasteurizing eggs at 140 degrees isn't hot enough to kill a majority of most common pathogens, but any hotter than that(144-158°), will start to coagulate the egg. In my opinion, clean unwashed, unpasteurized, unrefrigerated eggs are safer to consume than those that are.
WHAT ABOUT STUDIES THAT STATE FARM FRESH EGGS ARE NOT SAFE?
There are multiple studies like this one from Penn State, that says farm fresh eggs are less safe. Exactly what were the parameters of the study? To avoid litigation, I have to be careful as to what I say here. So I just want you to ask yourself these questions:
What is the production and sales limit to be considered farm fresh? Some states allow up to unlimited egg sales, and up to 3,000 birds before having to be regulated.
Does farm fresh eggs from a short-handed 9 person farm with 1000 birds have the same risk of getting someone sick as a 3 person family on a homestead with only 6 birds?
With any study, who paid for the study?
OUR FAMILY IS SERVSAFE CERTIFIED
Our family works in the food industry for a living and we are ServSafe certified. We have gone through official training in food safety required by most businesses and insurance companies within the food industry.
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