• fidodo@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    The biggest reason eggs are refrigerated in the US is because they’re not vaccinated for salmonella, so refrigeration is needed to inhibit growth. The US was able to do that since they have the infrastructure for end to end refrigeration. It’s not necessarily wrong, it’s just another way to do it. Since salmonella can also be on the outside of the egg they need to be washed, and since they’re refrigerated the loss of the protective layer doesn’t matter. I guess in Europe with the vaccination it also lowers the chance of salmonella on the outside of the egg allowing the outside to remain unwashed and protective of the inside making refrigeration unnecessary. There’s just not enough of a reason to change things in the us now since the refrigeration method is already in place and switching would cost more up front. The main downside is that you can’t eat raw eggs in the US which means some dishes can’t be made, but the vast majority of the US isn’t interested in raw egg dishes anyways.

    • Socsa@sh.itjust.works
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      10 months ago

      People in the US eat raw eggs all the time. Salmonella outbreaks from eggs are almost unheard of.

      Also, washed or unwashed, eggs will keep longer in the fridge. And it makes for a less cluttered pantry. There’s really zero reason for Europeans to be smug about this.

    • TCB13@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      There’s just not enough of a reason to change things in the us now since the refrigeration method is already in place and switching would cost more up front.

      Cutting on electricity and washing costs?

    • oatscoop@midwest.social
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      10 months ago

      The main downside is that you can’t eat raw eggs in the US

      You can buy pasteurized eggs, though they can be hard to find. You can also DIY them with a sous vide cooker.

        • oatscoop@midwest.social
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          10 months ago

          Sous vide is just accurately holding a water bath at a given temperature. You put your food in (in a baggie if necessary) at a specific temperature and time to achieve a consistent “doneness”.

          130-140 farenheit for an hour is enough to kill pathogens in eggs, but low enough it doesn’t cook them.