Why do we refrigerate eggs in the US but not in Europe? Please watch for chemicals on washed US eggs.

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January 5, 2024

In European grocery stores, eggs are stored on shelves just like other non-perishable goods like flour and canned goods. But, in the US, EGGS are always in the refrigerated section. Why is this? Do we need to refrigerate eggs or not?

Well, there's a pretty straightforward answer. It has to do with regulations regarding salmonella and eggs.

For those who may not know, salmonella is a common bacteria and is the most common cause of food poisoning. You might ingest salmonella 100 times, and 99% of the time you are fine, but then one time you get sick. When infected and sick with salmonella, you will most likely experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach pains. If you do get sick, symptoms typically resolve on their own in 2-5 days. More serious infections that may require hospitalization occur in babies, the elderly, and those with autoimmune conditions.

Chickens in Europe are vaccinated for salmonella, and egg washing is NOT required.

The idea is that, if the chickens cannot get infected with salmonella, then neither can the eggs.

Chickens in the US are NOT required to be vaccinated for salmonella, and egg washing is required.

The idea here is that, if the chickens happen to be infected with salmonella, it would only transfer to the exterior of the eggs. So, we'll just wash it off.

*Side note: Most conventional egg producers in the US choose to vaccinate their chickens for salmonella in addition to the required washing of eggs.

You need to refrigerate washed eggs because the protective coating called the bloom is removed.

When it's laid, an egg is naturally coated in a moist protective coating called the bloom or cuticle. This coating (mostly) seals the pores of the egg shell, preventing bacteria from penetrating the egg. When the bloom is removed, you absolutely should refrigerate those eggs. Bacteria grows more readily at higher temps and can easily get in the egg, making an egg go rotten pretty quickly.

Watch out for what eggs are washed in. There could be added chemicals and toxins.

The USDA has an extensive list of allowed sanitizing solutions, which include chlorine, ammonia, and various acids. Yuck, I don't want that in my body! If you buy eggs in a US supermarket, you can be sure they were washed. But, what they were washed in does NOT need to be disclosed and is typically NOT disclosed by the egg producer.

At Miller's we do things as naturally as possible, and that includes our eggs!

The chickens are 100% unvaccinated.
The eggs are washed in water and only water.
The chickens are pasture raised, foraging for bugs and seeds and grasses as much as the weather allows.
The chickens are fed a chemical-free, corn-free, and soy-free feed.

If you're looking to reduce toxins, our PASTURED CORN & SOY FREE EGGS are the way to go!

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Ugh greenwashed labels. What does it take to get ___ on a label anyway?

Not a fan of the confusing, greenwashed labels in store? Yea, me too! And it's especially real for me, because I'm responsible for getting our labels approved with the "powers that be". Here's a little story with a big inside scoop... I made new labels for our bone broth a little while ago. It didn't go as smoothly as planned. Why? I put the little icons about our farming practices on them. They look like this: Yup, despite being 100% accurate and true, they were denied!! We're not allowed to put those statements on our food labels. So, I asked the USDA guy, "What would it take to get those claims on the labels, anyway?" The answer was kinda shocking. First off, there's some guidance on wording. Silly technicalities in my opinion. For example, you can't use the term "No Spray" but you can say "Produced without the use of synthetic pesticides." Or another example is that you can't say "No Routine Antibiotics or Vaccines" but you can say "Raised without routine use of antibiotics or vaccines." Second, the processor needs to update their documents to provide traceability. In other words, they need to document how they make sure the bones for our bone broth don't get mixed up with bones from other farms. I mean, this is pretty simple, especially with small batch foods like ours. But the documentation needs to be meticulous. Drafting it in government-approved language can be time consuming and/or costly. And lastly, once you get the wording and process right, you need proof. This was the real shocker for me: Want to know what proof would suffice for all the claims above? A 2-3 sentence affidavit (AKA a super short letter) signed by all farmers that supply us. That's it!? This lead me to a bunch of questions: What if a company submits a letter from one farmer but actually has other farmers that supply them, too? What if a company changes farmers? Will they submit new letters?What if a company's farmers change their practices in the future? Will they immediately update their labels?Are the "powers that be" checking on this? Is anyone checking on this?Is this why most farms and food facilities don't allow outside people coming in? It seems to me that, if a business isn't doing what the label says, the only way to find out is via a whistleblower. And the only way to make them stop is to take them to court. You know, like what's happening with Vital Farms and their pasture raised egg claim right now. It seems to me that, all that good natural stuff on labels - grass fed, pasture raised, antibiotic free, etc - doesn't mean it's true. Certifications are a little better, but the same kinda thing can be said about those, too. This is why, at Miller's, we choose to NOT sell in stores. No wholesale for us. In fact, we don't even have an on farm store. We only sell directly to our customers via our website. And, we choose to only get certified for what's required. This way, we can make our own natural standards. And, we can provide you will all the info and proof you need. Descriptions, photos, blog posts, test results, and more. So, what do you think? Should we do the affidavit thing to get claims on our bone broth labels? What proof do you need to feel confident in your food choices? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below (no account required - just start typing) or contact us 😊

Why do we refrigerate eggs in the US but not in Europe? Please watch for chemicals on washed US eggs.

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Miller's Bio Farm, 523 Valley Road, Quarryville, PA 17566