If you’re making a recipe at home that calls for uncooked eggs, you may want to pasteurize your eggs first to make them safer for consumption, and reduce the chance for a food borne illness. Learn how to pasteurize eggs at home safely!
Until I got pregnant I have to admit I never gave much concern to whether or not my eggs were pasteurized. I never really concerned myself with consuming desserts with raw eggs in them. Then pregnancy happened.
Suddenly everything seemed like a mine field! And one of my favorite foods, a runny yolk, was suddenly off limits. It was then that I realized I also had to give up some of my favorite dessert too! I was reading labels on bottles of mayonnaise and Caesar salad dressing.
Of course this got me looking into pasteurizing my eggs at home. I mean 10 months without Tiramisu? I don’t think so. So I reached out to the American Egg Board on the safest way to pasteurize eggs at home.
Are All Eggs Pasteurized? According to the USDA, all egg products (egg contents that have been removed from their shells, such as egg whites) are pasteurized, but not all eggs inside their shell are pasteurized. In fact, only less than 3% of shell eggs are pasteurized in the US.
Can I use a sous vide machine to pasteurize raw eggs?
Using a sous vide machine is NOT a reliable way to pasteurize your raw eggs. Not all sous vides machines will heat the same, so again it’s difficult to determine if the yolk has been heated to the correct temperature for the necessary amount of time.
If the temperature drops below 140oF then the timer has to start all over again. So again a sous vide method is not recommended.
Are eggs in the grocery store pasteurized?
Most eggs in the grocery store are not pasteurized. Pasteurized eggs will be clearly marked, sometimes stamped with a letter P.
If eggs are sold without their shell, then they are required to be pasteurized, as mandated by the United States Department of Agriculture. These products include liquid whole eggs, liquid egg whites, hard-boiled eggs, and powdered egg whites. These pasteurized egg products can safely consumed without any further heating or cooking.
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FAQ
How do I know if my store bought eggs are pasteurized?
Do store bought eggs have to be pasteurized?
Are supermarket eggs Pasteurised?
Can you buy pasteurized eggs at the grocery store?
Are all eggs sold at grocery stores pasteurized?
Yes, most eggs sold at grocery stores in the United States are pasteurized. The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires all eggs sold in stores to be washed and sanitized, which involves spraying them with chemicals and water. Some grocery stores also sell unpasteurized or “raw” eggs, which are labeled as such.
How long are eggs good after the expiration date on the package?
Eggs have a lifespan of approximately 30 days. To know if an egg is fresh you can see if the egg floats. If it sinks, it is because it has lost air and it is no longer so cool. Also, the yolk becomes more liquid and mixes with the white.
Are egg products pasteurized?
All egg products (eggs outside of their shell) are pasteurized as required by United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). This means that they have been rapidly heated and held at a minimum required temperature for a specified time to destroy bacteria. Further cooking is not required.
Do eggs need to be pasteurized?
The EPIA requires that all egg products distributed for consumption be pasteurized. This means that they must be rapidly heated and held at a minimum required temperature for a specified time to destroy harmful bacteria. Pasteurization destroys Salmonella, but it does not cook the eggs or affect their color, flavor, nutritional value, or use.