Do eggs need to be refrigerated Netherlands?
Eggs Rarely Go Bad When Stored Properly
In the US and certain other countries, including Australia, Japan, Sweden and the Netherlands, eggs require refrigeration (1).
While most Americans store eggs in the fridge, many Europeans do not. This is because authorities in most European countries say refrigerating eggs is unnecessary.
In Europe, farms vaccinate chickens against salmonella. That means the cuticle is still intact when eggs are sold. Refrigerating eggs with the cuticle intact could actually cause mildew to grow. Which could cause… you guessed it salmonella contamination.
In Europe, it's illegal to wash eggs and instead, farms vaccinate chickens against salmonella. With the cuticle intact, refrigeration could cause mildew growth and contamination.
However, farm-fresh eggs and those in European countries and most of the rest of the world, can be safely kept at room temperature for up to two weeks, says Chau.
Why The U.S. Chills Its Eggs And Most Of The World Doesn't : The Salt In many countries, eggs aren't refrigerated and they're still considered safe to eat. But in the U.S., we have to chill them, because we've washed away the cuticle that protects them from bacteria.
Europeans store their eggs at room temperature, while Americans refrigerate them.
In the UK, eggs aren't washed before they hit the shelves. When eggs are washed, it makes it easier for bacteria such as salmonella to seep in, which is why cool refrigerator temperatures are necessary for US eggs.
Italy, the UK, and other parts of Europe don't have mandatory refrigeration. As a matter of fact, they have the opposite policy: refrigeration is forbidden until the eggs reach their final storage destination (the home fridge).
If you've been to a country other than the USA, you might have! Most countries do not store their eggs in refrigerators. Instead, they leave them out at room temperature. This might seem like a food safety hazard, but both methods are safe.
Do Brits refrigerate their eggs?
British supermarkets don't refrigerate eggs. It's not unusual to find stacks of egg cartons sitting alongside canned beans, boxes of dry cake mix, or other traditionally nonperishable foods. This is unlike the US, where eggs are found in the refrigerated dairy aisle with the butter, cheeses, and milk.
You may not have realized that Europeans actually buy and store their milk outside of the fridge. The reason is a simple one: Europeans rely on a completely different pasteurization method. Canadian and American milk manufacturers utilize high-temperature, short-time pasteurization.
This is probably entirely irrational, but there it is. Interestingly, the 'official' Dutch storage advice for eggs [1] states they are to be kept in the fridge, because it reduces the risk of salmonella and makes sure they dry out less quickly. That is just a cultural/educational thing.
— Never keep eggs unrefrigerated for more than two hours. — Raw eggs and recipes that require them should either be cooked immediately or be refrigerated promptly and cooked within 24 hours. — Eggs should always be cooked thoroughly before they are eaten; both the white and the yolk should be firm.
It turns out that, here in America, eggs are refrigerated because the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires eggs sold for consumption to be washed, processed, and then refrigerated before they come anywhere near a store's shelves.
According to food writer Michael Ruhlman, “The egg is a marvel in terms of protecting itself, and one of the protections is this coating, which prevents [the eggs] from being porous.” Room temperature eggs are always better for cooking and baking. In Mexico, a lot less energy is spent getting eggs to market.
There are a few other countries that also sterilize and refrigerate eggs before they're sold. If you live in Australia, Japan, Denmark and Sweden, your eggs are just like those in North America – so make sure you're keeping them refrigerated.
The eggs stored in cold temperature tend to undergo condensation when they are taken out to room temperature. This promotes the growth of bacteria over the egg shell, thereby contaminating the egg and making it harmful for human consumption.
Japan also standardized a system of egg washing and refrigeration after a serious salmonella outbreak in the 1990s.
Most people will still put them in the fridge at home, but because in Germany and most of Europe eggs are not washed and sterilized, unlike in the US and Canada, whereby the protective layer on the outside can be damaged, eggs don't HAVE to be refrigerated so the store sells them on the shelf.
Why are European egg yolks orange?
It's not a natural trait of a fancy European breed of hen or a sign of overly pampered birds. The yolk color actually comes from what the hens eat: a diet rich in carotenoids, the natural yellow-orange pigment found in fruits (cantaloupe), vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, and kale), and flowers.
Eggs should be refrigerated as soon as possible in the coldest section of the refrigerator (usually the body of the fridge). Keeping eggs in the carton will help protect them from damage. Eggs (whether raw or cooked) should not be kept at room temperature for more than two hours.
The main reason being is due to the fact that Europe banned the use of rBGH, while America has not. “RBGH has been approved by the FDA since 1993, however it's been outlawed in the EU since 1990,” says Alibrandi.
Turns out, the major difference lies in the method by which milk is processed. Almost all milk is pasteurized, meaning it undergoes extreme heat in order to kill illness-causing bacteria. The U.S. and Canada use a pasteurizing technique called high-temperature short-time pasteurization, or HTST.
“Because of its natural acidity, Heinz Ketchup is shelf-stable. However, its stability after opening can be affected by storage conditions. We recommend that this product be refrigerated after opening to maintain the best product quality.”
Many European countries, like the UK, vaccinate their hens to prevent the transmission of salmonella when the hens lay eggs. The vaccinations, in conjunction with the protection of the “cuticle,” are thought to protect the European eggs from bacteria, therefore they don't refrigerate their eggs.
Eggs there are not required to go through extensive washing, which leaves the protective coating on the egg. Because this coating remains on the eggs, authorities feel it is safe for them to be sold at room temperature. In some European countries, vaccines are used to prevent Salmonella in laying hens.
Most countries do not store their eggs in refrigerators. Instead, they leave them out at room temperature. This might seem like a food safety hazard, but both methods are safe.
Note: Some farm fresh eggs may come with poop on the shell, these should always be washed first and refrigerated. Also, if your farm fresh eggs have already been washed, they've lost the protective “bloom,” so it's best to refrigerate those as well.
British authorities actually discourage refrigerating eggs on the theory that chilling and then warming could create condensation, which would allow salmonella to penetrate the shell.
Why are eggs not refrigerated in Italy?
Italian eggs are gently wiped clean from debris before they're packaged and ready for sale, but never washed. Because they have this protective outer layer they don't need to be refrigerated and can stay at room temperature for a week or two without any deleterious effect.
You can leave eggs on the counter about two hours at room temperature or one hour if the temperature is 90 degrees or hotter before you start to worry, per the Egg Safety Center. After two hours, you'd be safer to throw those eggs out and get a fresh dozen rather than chance it.
A general rule, unwashed eggs will last around two weeks unrefrigerated and about three months or more in your refrigerator. If you're experiencing an egg boom, it's smart to refrigerate any unwashed fresh eggs you aren't planning to eat immediately. This will help them last longer.
Can You Put Room Temperature Eggs Back In The Fridge? If the eggs have been at room temperature (68-70 degrees), for less than 2 hours, you can put them back in the refrigerator. If they've been at a higher temperature than 70 degrees, you can put them back if they've been out less than 1 hour.