Criteria for identifying fresh eggs, spoilt eggs and stale eggs. Floating test, Sloshing test. Microorganisms growth

1. By:
Dr. Waleed Foad
MSc.Public Health in Nutrition
Clinical Nutrition Specialist
European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE)
Member of the American Society of Nutrition
Email: wfoad@outlook.com

2. Eggs
 Recognizing 2 different issues:
1. Fresh from Stale (non-Fresh) eggs.
2. Spoilt eggs

3. Eggs
 The Egg Shell
integrity is the main
protector against
Spoilage and the main
Spoilage indicator in
the whole egg
 Generally, Safe Eggs are:
1. Kept refrigerated, and
2. Shells are not broken,
3. Used with in 1 month of the Package date.

4. Testing Eggs: 1
1- See Package Date
 Eggs that are kept
refrigerated and are not
broken should be good
for at least 1 month
beyond the Package
date.

5. Testing Eggs: 2
2- Hold the egg up to your ear and shake it,
listening for a sloshing sound
 As the egg ages, moisture and
carbon dioxide escapes through
the shell, the yolk and white
begin to dry out and shrink,
and the air pocket in the egg
becomes bigger.
 A larger air pocket gives the egg more room to move
around inside the shell and create a sloshing sound.
 A sloshing egg only indicates that the egg is old and does
not mean the egg is unsafe for consumption.
 http://www.ochef.com/789.htm

6. Testing Eggs: 3
3- Place the egg in a bowl or a glass of cold water and see if
it floats.
 There is a tiny air pocket inside
eggs, and over time more
air passes through their
porous shells and into the egg.
 If the egg lays on its side
on the bottom of the bowl,
it is at peak freshness.
 If the egg stands upright on one end but is still touching the
bottom, it is aging but is still safe to eat.
 http://www.ochef.com/789.htm
 http://simmerandboil.cookinglight.com/2013/08/28/can-i-use-expired-
eggs/#sthash.k0mefnAr.dpuf

7. Testing Eggs: 3 cont.
3- Cold water Float test.
 If the egg is floating, it is not
a fresh egg.
 Stale (non-Fresh) eggs
float in Water.
 This does not necessarily
mean it’s bad or unsafe to eat. You should test the egg
by cracking it open and looking for (or smelling) signs
that it has gone bad
 http://www.ochef.com/789.htm

8. Testing Eggs: 4
4- Break and Smell
 Break the egg open and
notice if it smells.
 Best indicator of a bad egg.
 A bad egg will have a pungent,
foul odor when you break it open.
 The sulfurous smell will be obvious
as soon as the egg is cracked
(and possibly before), and the egg should be thrown out.
 A bad egg will have this foul smell, regardless of whether it is raw or
cooked
 http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/47036/egg-safety-when-to-
eat-and-when-to-not-eat
 http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-
answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/egg-products-preparation/shell-eggs-from-
farm-to-table/CT_Index#32

9. Testing Eggs: 5
5- Break and See Texture.
 Crack the egg open on a plate and check the quality of the
yolk and white.

10. Testing Eggs: 5 (cont.)
5- Break and See Texture.
 An Old Egg spreads or seems a little watery has a thinner
white.
 An Old Egg yolk is flat and breaks easily, and moves around
easily.
 http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-
education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/egg-
products-preparation/shell-eggs-from-farm-to-
table/CT_Index#32

11. Testing Eggs: 6
6- Break and See color.
 Break the egg open and
notice its color.
 The color of the yolk, in shades of
yellow or orange, has nothing to do
with freshness of the egg.
 Instead, inspect the egg white, or albumen.
 http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-
education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/egg-products-
preparation/shell-eggs-from-farm-to-table/CT_Index

12. Testing Eggs: 6 (cont.)
6- Break and See color.
 Egg white, or albumen.
 If it is pink or green, the egg has been contaminated by bacteria
and is not safe to eat.
 If black or green spots, it has been contaminated by fungus and
should be thrown away.
 A cloudy white indicates a very fresh egg. A clear white means the
egg is older (but may still be edible)
 http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-
answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/egg-products-preparation/shell-eggs-from-farm-
to-table/CT_Index

13. Testing Eggs: 6 (cont.)
6- Break and See color.
 Egg yellow, or yolk:
 If the yolk of a hard-cooked egg has a green ring around it, this means the
egg has been overcooked or was cooked in water with a high iron content.
This egg is still safe to eat.
 If there is a blood or meat spot in the egg, it is still safe to eat and does not
mean the egg is contaminated or has gone bad. A blood spot occurs when a
blood vessel ruptures when the egg is forming and has nothing to do with
freshness.
 http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-
answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/egg-products-preparation/shell-eggs-from-farm-to-
table/CT_Index
 http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-
answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/egg-products-preparation/shell-eggs-from-farm-to-
table/CT_Index

14. Spoilt Eggs
 Suspicion should raise when:
1. Cracked Shell
2. Leaking Contents.
3. Egg yolk is exposed.
4. Shell has an obvious discoloured dirty shell.
5. Bad Smell.
6. Eggs kept out of refrigerator for 2 hours or more, after
being refrigerated.
 Once an egg has cooled in your refrigerator, it is important to
keep it at the same temperature.
 A cold egg in a warmer environment begins to sweat, which can
encourage bacteria to grow on the outside of the egg. Because the
egg shell is porous, it is sometimes possible for the bacteria on
the shell to pass into through and contaminate the egg.
 http://www.eggsafety.org/blog/safe-handling/224-safely-store-
your-eggs

15. Spoilt Eggs

16. For Further Support:
Dr. Waleed Foad
Email: wfoad@outlook.com