Should eggs be stored in a refrigerator?

Some people believe eggs need to be stored in a refrigerator, while others insist that eggs at outside temperatures are best. A new study by British scientists gave an accurate and unexpected answer to this controversial issue.

According to the British Egg Information Agency, the only place to keep food cool and avoid fluctuations in temperature is the refrigerator. This is also a storage guide printed on the packaging of egg cartons sold at supermarkets.

The above point of view received the approval of two experts from the Veterinary School, Bristol University (UK) as well as many professional cooks. They claim, if the egg is contaminated with salmonella, storing eggs at room temperature will cause the pathogen to multiply. Worryingly, users will not be able to detect any changes in the color, smell or consistency of infected eggs.

"The best way to store eggs is in the refrigerator or outside cooler, at room temperature?"has long been a controversial issue.(Artwork: sheknows.com)

An American study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture last year even found that the quality of the eggs deteriorated after 4 weeks at a temperature of 7.2 degrees or more (while the heat The usual room temperature is 20 degrees Celsius. The researchers said that the optimal temperature for long-term preservation of eggs is between 0.6 and 2.2 degrees Celsius. The refrigerator's cool-out temperature usually ranges from 1.7 to 3, 3 degrees Celsius, but users can fully adjust as desired.

Some other scientists in the US are more cautious. Experts from the prestigious Mayo Medical Center suggest that you discard the egg if it is left out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours.

However, the protesters insist that keeping eggs in the refrigerator is not only useless in terms of safety, but also ruins the flavor and causes disasters in the process of baking, as cold eggs form blocks with Other baking ingredients. Tim Hayward, the Food Program host on BBC 4 radio channel, and restaurant columnist for Financial Times magazine, stressed that eggs remain in perfect quality at room temperature for at least 1 week. .

To verify the two completely opposite points, Daily Mail has hired prestigious FoodTest laboratories in West Yorkshire, England to test the eggs bought at the supermarket. FoodTest technicians stored 2 trays of eggs at room temperature for 2 weeks and 2 other egg trays at a temperature of 6 ° C in the refrigerator compartment.

Egg samples from both groups were tested regularly for common pathogens such as E.coli, staphylococcus aureus, salmonella and some other bacteria. Test results performed at the beginning of the experiment, the first weekend and the second weekend gave the same results in both groups of egg preservation: they were not infected with pathogenic bacteria.

Jay Tolley, director of quality management at FoodTest, concluded: " Preserving eggs in refrigerators is no more advantageous than keeping them at warmer room temperatures (for 2 weeks of testing)".