Its once become a trend for food stalls or restaurants to make a claim that they washed eggs that they are going to use for cooking. Someone is considered to not taking care of hygiene if the person didn’t do the same thing.
People take this as a common-sense where everyone should be doing the same routine during cooking. Yes, it is important for us to wash all the ingredients that we are going to use for cooking, except for eggs.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), washing eggs is not encouraged. Even though we believed that washing eggs can remove dirt and germs on the shell, the process in fact can increase the risk of cross-contamination.
Amy Leigh Mercree, a health expert said that by washing the egg, water can push the bacteria into the egg as the shell is porous. She admits that there are bacteria on the shell’s surface, but washing can make it worse because the bacteria can get into the egg, especially if you’re using cold water or running water to wash the egg.
Most of the commercial eggs have been going through a thorough wash to remove the bacteria. A natural protective coating called a “cuticle” was removed from the surface of the egg during the process. Then, a film of edible mineral oil will be applied to the surface to prevent the bacteria from penetrating into the egg. That is why washing the commercial egg might means that you are washing the egg for a second time.
However, Mercree admits that farm-fresh eggs may not undergo the washing process. She still against washing the eggs, but if you still want to wash them, make sure you use warm water and avoid using soap.
Source: rd.com
