Why are eggs in Italy not refrigerated?

[expat500]

Eggs in Europe are not refrigerated because they don’t need it. The reasons why American (and Japanese) eggs must be refrigerated is that:

1. They are washed, which removes the natural protective layer on the egg’s surface which keeps bacteria out.
2. In the US (not in Japan) the conditions of the egg laying farms are frightening and extremely unhealthy, and most chicken is infected with salmonella.

In Italy (and generally speaking in Europe) the eggs are not washed and commonly the chickens are kept in much better conditions, so the eggs don’t need refrigeration.

from Quora.

 

[whoisit]

My neighbor has never kept her eggs in fridge, they are on the kitchen counter, for some reason we keep our eggs in the fridge, guess when we first had chickens, we didn't know any better and it just became a habit.
We should stop refrigerating them.

 

[expat500]

I don’t keep mine in the fridge.

 

[JGalt]

Eggs in Europe are not refrigerated because they don’t need it. The reasons why American (and Japanese) eggs must be refrigerated is that:

1. They are washed, which removes the natural protective layer on the egg’s surface which keeps bacteria out.
2. In the US (not in Japan) the conditions of the egg laying farms are frightening and extremely unhealthy, and most chicken is infected with salmonella.

In Italy (and generally speaking in Europe) the eggs are not washed and commonly the chickens are kept in much better conditions, so the eggs don’t need refrigeration.

from Quora.

Apparently Avian Flu isn't much of a problem in Italy this year.

Avian influenza in Italy: updates | National reference centre for AI

My wife's getting all our eggs for free, from a lady at work who has chickens. Nice big, brown eggs too.

 

[martybegan]

Probably due to the shopping habit differences. Americans tend to shop less frequently, and thus store items longer.

Europeans haven't given up the old habit of day of shopping, or every few day shopping.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Eggs in Europe are not refrigerated because they don’t need it. The reasons why American (and Japanese) eggs must be refrigerated is that:

1. They are washed, which removes the natural protective layer on the egg’s surface which keeps bacteria out.
2. In the US (not in Japan) the conditions of the egg laying farms are frightening and extremely unhealthy, and most chicken is infected with salmonella.

In Italy (and generally speaking in Europe) the eggs are not washed and commonly the chickens are kept in much better conditions, so the eggs don’t need refrigeration.

from Quora.

I never had store bought eggs until I joined the Navy.

On our submarine, back in 1980, we kept eggs in the lower missile compartment near the hull, which kept them cool but nowhere near refrigerated. They lasted over a month. After they were used up, we had powdered eggs. They never spoiled.

Your source is correct in saying, for example, farm fresh eggs, that are not washed last longer, but the hazard with them is that fact. They are usually coated in dirt and chickenshit, leading to e coli.

Salmonella or e coli. Your choice.

 

[expat500]

Probably due to the shopping habit differences. Americans tend to shop less frequently, and thus store items longer.

Europeans haven't given up the old habit of day of shopping, or every few day shopping.

We socialise that way too.

 

[1srelluc]

I wonder how long left out unwashed eggs can pass the "float test" when compared to refrigerated unwashed eggs?

My grandmother refrigerated her fresh eggs but I believe it had more to do with "because she could" than anything else.

Fresh eggs destined to be sold and dairy (like butter and whole milk) were kept in the old spring/ice house before they got a refrigerator.

My granddad would cut ice from the farm pond in the winter when he could. They never had a ice box in the house as far as I know.

Funny thing though, they always called the refrigerator an "Ice Box".

 

[progressive hunter]

 

[Rambunctious]

I get my eggs from a farm... they are better eggs... cost less and I don't put them in my refrigerator unless I'm going out of town... My mom had chickens and we always had fresh eggs and she never refrigerated them...
The shell protects the egg... but don't put them in the sun keep them cool...

 

[ReinyDays]

My first thought was refrigerated eggs will last longer ... simple biology ... and much of the US food delivery system is based on shelf-life ... a factory will process a year's worth of tomato within the few weeks of harvest ... and then sits in a warehouse ... anything that could spoil is removed from the tomato during processing ... or add poisons to kill anything smaller than a petri dish ...

My eggs are "best when used by Nov 10, 2022" ... but they've been refrigerated so still good ...

 

[cnm]

I have found chilling them to be helpful in making a compact poached egg, the only reason I'd do so.

 

[whoisit]

I never had store bought eggs until I joined the Navy.

On our submarine, back in 1980, we kept eggs in the lower missile compartment near the hull, which kept them cool but nowhere near refrigerated. They lasted over a month. After they were used up, we had powdered eggs. They never spoiled.

Your source is correct in saying, for example, farm fresh eggs, that are not washed last longer, but the hazard with them is that fact. They are usually coated in dirt and chickenshit, leading to e coli.

Salmonella or e coli. Your choice.

My neighbor's lived to be an old, never told me they ever caught any bacterial illness from eggs. The whole 26 years I knew them they didn't. the natural coating destroyed E.coli salmonella ,etc.

 

[rampart]

My neighbor has never kept her eggs in fridge, they are on the kitchen counter, for some reason we keep our eggs in the fridge, guess when we first had chickens, we didn't know any better and it just became a habit.
We should stop refrigerating them.

mom kept them in the old norge and i havn't thought about it. the reason for refrigeration (contamination outside the shell?) is interesting.

 

[whoisit]

mom kept them in the old norge and i havn't thought about it. the reason for refrigeration (contamination outside the shell?) is interesting.

Maybe the coldness kills the protective outer layer? I know hens will stay on their eggs till they hatch keeping them around 90 degrees, so no way to tell in the wild what happens if left out.
I do know we had to keep biddies under high heat lamps.

 

[marvin martian]

Eggs in Europe are not refrigerated because they don’t need it. The reasons why American (and Japanese) eggs must be refrigerated is that:

1. They are washed, which removes the natural protective layer on the egg’s surface which keeps bacteria out.
2. In the US (not in Japan) the conditions of the egg laying farms are frightening and extremely unhealthy, and most chicken is infected with salmonella.

In Italy (and generally speaking in Europe) the eggs are not washed and commonly the chickens are kept in much better conditions, so the eggs don’t need refrigeration.

from Quora.

Eggs are not refrigerated in Latin America, either.

 

[cnm]

Maybe the coldness kills the protective outer layer?

No, it's the washing that does that.

 

[Foxfyre]

Eggs in Europe are not refrigerated because they don’t need it. The reasons why American (and Japanese) eggs must be refrigerated is that:

1. They are washed, which removes the natural protective layer on the egg’s surface which keeps bacteria out.
2. In the US (not in Japan) the conditions of the egg laying farms are frightening and extremely unhealthy, and most chicken is infected with salmonella.

In Italy (and generally speaking in Europe) the eggs are not washed and commonly the chickens are kept in much better conditions, so the eggs don’t need refrigeration.

from Quora.

When we had our own chickens, I don't recall my mother putting the eggs anywhere but in their special bin on the kitchen counter. And it seems she used all of what our small flock produced every day or two but also supplied a neighbor or two who kept us supplied with things from their garden that we didn't grow. But back then the only time we went to a restaurant was when we were traveling. And it was before the days of so much processed food, GMOs and other messing with the food supply. We were well aware that we could get trichinosis from undercooked pork but I don't think we had even heard of salmonella back then and drinking unpasteurized but fresh milk was common.

And no doubt there was more of certain kinds of illnesses that we didn't understand then but all in all our food supply was much more safe and much more healthy than it sometimes is now. Excess food processing and so many processed and addictive products on the market has definitely not made Americans healthier. Not good for our food sources, especially animals. Not good for us.

I think Europeans probably haven't succumbed to so much of that as we have.

 

[petro]

We sometimes get free farm eggs from a friend that we don't refrigerate.
The store bought one's go in the fridge though.

 

[skye]

Does it make a difference? in the fridge or not?