While most eggs are considered unsafe to eat when raw, there’s a scientifically interesting reason eggs are generally safe to eat raw in Japan.
While most eggs are considered unsafe to eat when raw, there’s a scientifically interesting reason eggs are generally safe to eat raw in Japan.
That is nice, but it is not the main reason for safer eggs in Japan compared to the States. The biggest difference is that eggs in Japan are usually not refrigerated either in transit, or the store, or even at home. There are a number of benefits from not refrigerating your eggs. They have longer shelf life. They never “sweat” on the outside of the shell, resulting in an environment for bacteria growth. They don’t take up space in your small Japanese fridge. But, if you buy eggs that are already refrigerated, you need to keep them refrigerated.
Commercial eggs in America must be refrigerated because the chickens are kept in unhealthy unsanitary conditions. The eggs are filthy and contaminated with salmonella (and other fatal bacteria), thus they must be washed to remove the salmonella. Washing the eggs removes a trans-membrane that normally protects the egg. As such the washed eggs must be refrigerated.
I have a small chicken farming operation (for our homestead) and we don’t need to refrigerate our eggs because they don’t need to be washed/refrigerated - our coop is properly cleaned and eggs are collected multiple times a day to ensure they stay clean.
You just made me realize how eggs are never refrigerated when I buy them yet I’ve always stored them in the fridge at home. I looked it up and it seems it’s fine to not refrigerate them as long as they aren’t exposed to a lot of temperature variation since that could crack the shell.
Prior to the ‘machine’, Japan refrigerated is eggs. I’m not sure about after the machine, but websites from 2015 and 2021 still say that they do. It would seem that they either still do or should, as the machine still washes the eggs, but I’m not in Japan and can’t say either way.
Refrigerated eggs have a shelf life of 3-5 weeks, while non refrigerated eggs are at 2 weeks.
I don’t know in other countries but in France eggs have an expiration date of 4 weeks after laying, not 2.
(they are not refrigerated and not washed.)
Eggs are refrigerated in Japan all the time (edit: as in regularly not literally 100% of the time; bad word choice on my part). Source: years living in Japan and every supermarket I go to. There are always far more refrigerated than not.
I think (at least some) are refrigerated in route to stores during distribution, but I’m not sure on any numbers here
I’ve lived here for over a decade and I’ve seen them not refrigerated more often than not. But, it could also be where we tend to shop.
This is very true. I’m mostly shopping in Tokyo supermarkets.