Why do Americans put eggs in refrigerators and Europeans?

This does not stem from a cultural difference or the American Revolution.

If you're a sophisticated person, you'll realize that Americans keep eggs in the refrigerator and Europeans don't. This does not stem from a cultural difference or American Revolution, the reason being simply that they have different egg production processes.

Picture 1 of Why do Americans put eggs in refrigerators and Europeans?
Americans leave eggs in the refrigerator and Europeans do not.

America produces about 100 billion poultry eggs per year. Before they appear on supermarket shelves, the US Department of Agriculture requires the manufacturer to wash and disinfect the shell of the egg. This is done to kill a dangerous bacterium called salmonella. This bacterium is responsible for many cases of past food poisoning involving eggs.

However, undergoing a disinfection washing process also causes the natural protective layer of the eggs to be removed. That's why eggs in the US are usually stored in a refrigerator , below the temperature recommended by the US Food and Drug Administration about 45 ° F, equivalent to 7 ° C.

"A cold egg at room temperature will flow, facilitating bacterial growth, causing egg pollution , " the US Egg Safety Center recommends on their website. The washing process only removes the existing bacteria on the eggs, then they can still grow again. "Frozen eggs should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours."

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Eggs sold in a supermarket in France, no need to freeze.

However, in Europe, egg producers vaccinate hens to prevent salmonella . This was done starting in the UK since 1997, when so many people were sick from bacteria from eggs. This makes European agricultural facilities do not need an egg washing process. You can keep eggs in the normal counter, because their natural protective layer has not been cleaned.

Another interesting problem, you don't need to worry that cold eggs can ruin their recipes. The American cooking show "America's Test Kitchen Chef" has confirmed cold eggs and eggs often have no difference in taste.

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Cold eggs do not lose flavor when processing.

Dan Souza, a culinary expert, told Tech Insider: "You are even making a cake with lots of eggs in it, we see the mechanical effects of mixing eggs, especially when you use the machine, It may cause it to heat up, so it is not a big deal. "

However, the processing of eggs is especially important. You need to bring the temperature above 160 ° F, equivalent to 71 ° C, if you want to destroy the rest of the bacteria in it.