Un-scrambling the truth: Why American eggs would be ILLEGAL to sell in the UK... and vice versa



Eggs in the UK would be illegal in the U.S. because they are not cleaned, and American eggs don't comply with UK laws because they are cleaned

American eggs are kept refrigerated for safety reasons, whereas UK eggs are stored at room temperature



If you've ever compared store-bought eggs in the U.S. with those in the UK, you'll have noticed a few very significant differences in taste, color and quality.

This is due to the differing ways the eggs are farmed, stored and treated in the two countries - techniques so contrasting that eggs from the UK would actually be considered illegal if they were sold in America, and vice versa.



UK eggs, for instance - which typically have more orange yolks than their American counterparts - are stored at room temperature, while those in the U.S. are required by law to be stored at lower than 45 degrees Fahrenheit in order to prevent the risk of Salmonella spreading.

Eggs in different baskets: The differing ways eggs are farmed and stored in the UK vs. the U.S. mean that UK eggs would be considered illegal if they were sold in America, and vice versa

British grocery stores and households do not refrigerate their eggs because 90per cent of store-bought eggs in the UK come from hens that have been vaccinated for salmonella.



This practice of farmers vaccinating their hens came about after an outbreak in the Nineties; since then, salmonella in the UK has been virtually wiped out.



What's more, British food regulators cite the fact that refrigerating eggs before a consumer buys them leads to a temperature change during transportation that can cause moisture to collect, making the eggs more vulnerable to harmful bacteria.

Not only are eggs stored in different ways in the two countries, but they're also handled differently before they're shipped to stores.

In America, the USDA requires that farmers clean eggs in water that is at least 90 degrees Fahrenheit, in order get rid of potentially harmful fecal matter.



The eggs are then sprayed with a chemical sanitizer before being dried completely, so that there is no moisture left on them which might increase the risk of bacteria forming.

Due to the cleaning process, eggs in America lose their natural thin outer layer, called the cuticle, which naturally protects them from contamination.



But for the UK, the painstaking process of cleaning eggs so thoroughly is seen as more trouble than it's worth.

'In Europe, it's in the farmers' best interests to produce to clean eggs, as no one is going to buy them if they're dirty'

In fact, laws in the UK and the EU egg stipulate that Class A eggs - the ones sold on supermarket shelves - must not be washed or cleaned in any way.

The reasoning is that a botched washing job, which can lead to excess moisture and therefore harmful bacteria development, is worse than not cleaning the eggs at all.

What's more, since UK eggs aren't cleaned they have their cuticles intact, further protecting them from contamination.



Mark Williams, chief executive of the British Egg Industry Council, explained to Forbes in 2012: 'In Europe, the understanding is that this mandate actually encourages good husbandry on farms.



'It's in the farmers' best interests then to produce to cleanest eggs possible, as no one is going to buy their eggs if they're dirty.'