Egg Handling

To ensure top quality, buy only Canada Grade A eggs that have been kept refrigerated and check that the shells are clean and uncracked.

All eggs sold in Canadian grocery stores are Grade A eggs. Look for a maple leaf on the carton. Grade A eggs must have a clean shell, be free of cracks and be normal in shape. The egg must also have a firm white, a small air cell on the wide end and the yolk must be centered inside the egg. In other words, a Grade A egg is a fresh, quality egg!

When buying eggs, be sure to check the "Best Before" date on the carton. A "Best Before" date is required by Federal regulation if the shelf life of a food is less than 90 days. The date indicates the time the eggs will maintain Grade A quality, if stored properly. It is normally 28 to 35 days from the date of packing. If you use them after that date, they are better for baking, hard-cooking or scrambling rather than poaching or frying.

A fresh Canada Grade A egg will have a round, well-centered, compact and erect yolk surrounded by a very thick and firm white. The egg will have a small air cell (less than 5 mm deep). As an egg ages, the air cell becomes larger, the yolk becomes more flat, larger, and breaks more easily, and the thick white becomes thin and watery.

Fresh raw eggs are perishable. Over time the white becomes thinner, the membrane around the yolk weakens and breaks more easily, and the fresh egg taste disappears.

Always buy eggs from a refrigerated display case. Eggs kept at room temperature deteriorate as much in a day as they would in a week under refrigeration.

Keep your eggs as fresh as possible by storing them in the refrigerator in their original carton. The carton protects the eggs from absorbing the flavour and odour of other foods that are nearby. If possible, keep your eggs away from strong smelling foods like onions, cheese or cabbage. Although your refrigerator may have an egg tray on the door, the door area tends not to be cold enough. Never wash eggs before storing as this removes their protective coating.

Raw shell eggs will keep in the refrigerator without significant quality loss for up to three weeks after the “Best Before” date.

Eggs will gradually lose quality and some of their functional properties, such as the ability to thicken sauces and make baked goods rise. The rate at which quality is lost depends on many things including handling and storage practices, and temperatures.

Hard-cooked eggs, in the shell or peeled, should be eaten within one week after cooking. Hard-cooked yolks should be used within five days.

Separated egg whites and yolks should be refrigerated immediately in tightly covered containers and used within two to four days. To stop yolks from drying up, cover them with a little cold water and pour the water off before using.

	Storage Times
	Refrigerator	Freezer
Fresh raw eggs	Use by "Best Before" date	4 months (eggs blended)
Fresh yolk & white	2 - 4 days	4 months
Hard-cooked eggs	1 week	Not recommended

Raw eggs can be frozen at 0°F or -18°C and should be used within four months.

Egg whites can be frozen "as is". Pour them into a freezer container, leaving room for expansion, seal tightly, and label with the number of egg whites and the date and freeze. Substitute 2 tablespoons (30 mL) thawed egg white for 1 large egg white.

For whole eggs or yolks, beat until just blended. Pour into a freezer container, seal tightly, label with the number of eggs and the date. Substitute 3 tablespoons (45 mL) thawed whole egg for 1 large fresh egg.

Egg yolks will thicken or gel when frozen. To prevent lumpiness in the yolk beat in either
⅛ teaspoon (½ mL) salt or 1 ½ teaspoon (7 mL) sugar or corn syrup per ¼ cup of egg yolks (50 mL, i.e. about 4 yolks). Label with the number of yolks, the date and whether you added salt (for main dishes) or sugar (for desserts or baking). Substitute 1 tablespoon (15 mL) thawed yolk for 1 large fresh yolk.

Freeze eggs in small quantities and defrost only what you need. An easy way to freeze eggs is to put them in an ice-cube tray. When frozen, transfer the eggs to a freezer container and label. As with any frozen foods, it is best to thaw eggs in the refrigerator and use them as soon as they are thawed. Only use thawed eggs in dishes that will be thoroughly cooked.

Hard-cooked eggs do not freeze successfully, as cooked egg whites will become tough and rubbery.

If you accidentally crack the shell of an egg before you plan to use it, either discard it or immediately break the egg into a clean container, cover tightly, refrigerate, and use within two days in a recipe that is baked.

Do not use an egg if the egg's contents are leaking through the shell, the egg is stuck to the carton, or if the eggshell is dirty, prominently stained or has foreign material sticking to it.

Blood spots are harmless. They do not indicate a fertile egg. Blood spots usually occur when a blood vessel ruptures in the hen during formation of the egg. Some breeds of chickens lay more eggs containing blood spots than other breeds, but in total, they occur in less than 1% of all eggs produced.

Federal regulations require that eggs with large blood spots be kept out of consumer markets, while small blood spots are permitted in Grade B eggs. Small tolerances for blood spots are also allowed in Grade A eggs since very small blood spots can be difficult to see during grading, especially in eggs with brown shells.

Consider pasteurized egg products when going on a trip where there is no refrigeration, such as camping or boating. Pasteurization destroys any harmful bacteria that may be present by an intense heating process. Dried egg products are light in weight, easy to pack, and can be reconstituted with clean water for use in most of the ways you would use shell eggs. However, once the package is opened, the contents are subject to contamination through improper handling and storage. Small packages are often available from sporting goods stores.

The egg shell is porous so that air, moisture and bacteria can pass through the egg shell. Over time the egg loses moisture and the air cell becomes larger. These eggs are not as fresh and are best used for hard-cooking and baking. If the shell is dirty or cracked then bacteria on the outside of the egg can slowly pass through the egg and cause it to spoil. Eggs should always be kept refrigerated to prevent any bacteria from growing.

The "Best Before" date on the carton can help you determine the freshness of your eggs.

Follow the recipe below to prepare eggnog using cooked eggs.

Makes 16 - ½ cup (125 mL) servings

Holiday Eggnog

6	eggs	6
½ cup	sugar	125 mL
4 cups	milk	1 L
2 tsp	vanilla extract	10 mL
½ cup	brandy (optional)	125 mL
2 cups	whipping cream	500 mL
	Pinch ground nutmeg

In a large heavy saucepan, beat eggs, and sugar until well blended. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 25 minutes. Pour custard into a large bowl. Stir in vanilla and brandy (if using). Chill bowl in ice water for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.

To serve, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream into custard. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg. Either keep eggnog refrigerated or place bowl on a bed of ice. Serve within 2 hours.

Food safety concerns all people, but some groups are more at risk, such as children, pregnant women, the elderly and immuno-compromised or debilitated persons.⁴⁵ These persons and their caregivers should be made aware of the impact of basic food handling and storage procedures on health.

Bacterias in food thrive when they are warm and moist and unsafe food practices can cause foodborne illness. Flu-like symptoms, stomach cramps, diarrhea, and fever can all be signs of food poisoning. Because symptoms can start soon after eating contaminated food and/or up to a month or later, it's not always easy to tell what was the cause.

Certain foods are more susceptible to bacterial growth. These are foods that are high in protein and moisture, such as milk and milk products, eggs which are cooked or out of the shell, meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, cream pies, custards, and salads made with mayonnaise.

For these high-risk foods to be safe to eat they need to be kept at the proper temperature. Cold foods should be kept cold (below 40°F or 4°C) and hot foods must be kept hot (above 140°F or 60°C). High-risk foods kept in between these temperatures are susceptible to rapid bacterial growth.

Most people think foodborne illness only occurs outside the home, while in fact 90% of problems result from mishandling in the home.⁴⁶ A few precautions when preparing, storing and serving foods can help decrease the chances of food-related illnesses.

Receive food recalls and allergy alerts directly via email from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) the moment they are issued. Click here to subscribe to the CFIA automatic food recall update service.

The following tips will help you prevent food-related illness in your home:

• Always wash your hands with soap and hot water before and during food preparation.
• If you must sneeze or cough, cover your mouth and nose, turn away from foods and wash your hands again before handling food.
• Keep utensils, cutting boards, and work areas clean.
• Wash all fresh vegetables and fruits before eating.
• Prepare foods quickly, cook thoroughly and serve immediately.
• Avoid cross-contamination by keeping cooked items or foods that will be eaten raw, such as vegetables or fruits, away from surfaces and utensils that have come in contact with drippings from raw eggs, meat, fish, or poultry. For example, don't cut vegetables that will be eaten raw on a board that you have just used to prepare raw meat.
• After preparing raw foods wash cutting boards and utensils in hot soapy water and sanitize them by rinsing them in 3 cups (750 mL) water and 1 tsp (5 mL) bleach.
• Use a clean spoon every time you want to test foods.
• Keep cold foods cold (below 40°F or 4°C) and hot foods hot (above 140°F or 60°C).

For more information and food safety tips, visit the Fight BAC!™ web site at www.canfightbac.org.

Salmonella is one of several types of bacteria which can cause foodborne illness if ingested in large numbers.

Salmonella from Canadian eggs is not very common. Those most susceptible to salmonella are the very young, the very old and those in poor health. When food poisoning does occur, it is associated with poor food handling practices.

When preparing recipes that use raw eggs, follow these safe food-handling tips:

• Always use fresh Canada Grade A eggs that have been kept refrigerated. The "Best Before" date on the carton will help determine freshness.
• Ensure that the eggs are clean and that the shell is not cracked.
• Wash your hands, cooking surface, and all utensils immediately before and after preparing a raw egg dish. As an extra precaution you may want to use a dilute bleach solution as a disinfectant for your work surface and utensils.
• Prepare only enough food that will be consumed in one sitting; raw egg products should not be served as leftovers.
• Serve all egg rich products immediately after preparing or store in the refrigerator.

For more information and food safety tips, visit the Fight BAC!™ web site at www.canfightbac.org.

When preparing raw or lightly cooked eggs, for example in eggnog or Caesar salad you must use proper food handling methods.

Use only Grade A eggs that have been refrigerated. Grade A eggs must have clean, uncracked shells. Wash hands in hot, soapy water before and after handling the eggs. Eat the dish immediately after preparation or immediately refrigerate the product until served, keep it cold during serving and consume it the same day it is prepared. Discard leftovers.