If you’ve ever found a small crack in an eggshell, you may have wondered if the egg is still safe to eat.
Eggs are often cracked during production, transportation, and storage. While this isn’t ideal, in some cases, you can actually still use the egg.
In fact, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) lists a few circumstances for how the egg cracks that will allow you to safely eat the egg instead of tossing it in the trash, which we’ll investigate in this article.
Let’s take a closer look at when cracked eggs are safe to eat or not.
First, Why Do Egg Shells Break So Easily?
Egg shells are notorious for breaking easily. Sometimes I feel like they will crack if you so much as glance at them sideways!
Part of this comes from their chemical makeup and the fact that the baby chick that is supposed to get oxygen through the shell.
It also has to form and grow inside a fertilized egg and then be able to get out (hatch) without too much effort or it might become trapped and die inside the egg.
Eggshells are made up of calcium carbonate and proteins. The inner membrane keeps the egg white from evaporating, and it also provides a barrier against bacteria entering the egg.
As time goes on, though, this shell weakens due to environmental conditions like temperature changes or age.
There are several reasons why cracks can occur in eggs.
One of the most common is temperature changes. When eggs are rapidly cooled or heated, it causes the shell to contract and expand, which can lead to cracks.
Other possible causes of cracked eggs include: old age (eggs have a “best by” date), mishandling during production or transportation, being laid by younger hens with thinner shells, or even just the pressure of other eggs in a carton.
Vinegar will break down egg shells (you probably did an experiment that confirmed this back in elementary school), as will dropping an egg.
Sometimes you can put a small crack into an egg if / when you transfer them from the original carton into a refrigerator storage container, like this space saving sliding pull-out egg drawer that I found online (it hangs under a refrigerator shelf!).
It’s also not unusual for eggs to have small, undetected hairline cracks when they leave the inspection service at the processing plant.
AgResearch Magazine, from the USDA, notes, “But some cracks, called “microcracks,” are so small that even an experienced human grader’s eye can miss them at the processing plant. Unfortunately, the microcracks grow over time and are often easily visible by the time they reach consumers at market. Cracks are a food-safety concern because they can allow contamination of the egg by pathogens, such as Salmonella.”
Can You Eat An Egg That Was Cracked?
You’re cooking breakfast and have already warmed up your leftover crescent rolls (hmm, are expired crescent rolls safe to eat?). When you go to scramble your eggs, though, you find your one remaining egg is cracked. Should you eat it?
The short answer to whether or not you can eat an egg that was cracked is: It depends on how it got cracked in the first place.
The USDA states that, “Bacteria can enter eggs through cracks in the shell. Never purchase cracked eggs.”
Even when there’s no visible contamination (such as blood spots or a bad odor), there’s still a slight risk that bacteria could enter an egg through the crack in its shell.
However, on the same website page I just referenced, the USDA also says, “However, if eggs crack on the way home from the store, break them into a clean container, cover tightly, keep refrigerated, and use within two days. If eggs crack during hard cooking, they are safe.”
This type of cracked egg should be cooked thoroughly. The heat of cooking kills any potential bacteria that may have gotten into the egg through a crack or two.
Make sure you cook them to an internal temperature of 145°F (62°C) and discard any cracked eggs that don’t seem right — if they smell bad, look discolored, or otherwise give you pause.
Are double yolk eggs safe to eat?
How Can You Tell If A Cracked Egg Is Bad?
Obviously, inspect your eggs carefully at the grocery store and don’t buy them if they are cracked. But what if you got them home in one piece and now you opened the carton only to find a cracked eggshell?
If you’re unsure if a cracked egg is safe to eat, it’s best to use your senses as a guide.
First, take a look at the egg and inspect it for any discoloration. The shell should look its normal color, not greenish-gray or off-white.
Next, give the egg a sniff — if it has a foul odor that smells like sulfur or rotten eggs, then it’s definitely a spoiled egg.
If the cracked egg looks and smells okay, then proceed with caution – cook it thoroughly before eating it.
When cooking the cracked egg, make sure to monitor the process carefully; this will help ensure that all bacteria are killed before consumption.
Fully cook the yolk and white until they reach an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C). Once the egg is finished cooking, you can enjoy it without worrying about the risk of salmonella.
What Can Happen If You Eat A Cracked Egg?
If a cracked egg isn’t cooked properly, there is a risk of food-borne illness due to salmonella. This bacteria can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and fever within 12-72 hours after consuming the contaminated egg.
In extreme cases, salmonella can lead to more serious health complications such as dehydration and even death in severe cases.
Salmonella, the name of a group of bacteria, is a common cause of food poisoning in the United States. Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, and vomiting 12 to 72 hours after infection. Symptoms usually last 4 to 7 days and most people get better without treatment. However, in some people, the diarrhea may be so severe that they need to be hospitalized. In these patients, the Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is treated quickly with antibiotics. Certain people are at greater risk for severe illness and include children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems (such as transplant patients and individuals with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and diabetes)
U. S Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
This isn’t uncommon, either. LiveStrong reports that, “The FDA estimates that eating contaminated eggs causes 79,000 cases of food poisoning a year.“
Overall, cracked eggs are safe to eat if the crack happened in your refrigerator, as long as they are left in the refrigerator and consumed within two days. And if they are cooked properly before eating.
This is because refrigeration slows down bacterial growth, giving you more time to cook and eat the egg before bacteria can grow at dangerous levels.
However, if the crack happened outside of refrigeration–such as while shopping or during transport–it’s best to discard any cracked eggs rather than risk eating a potentially unsafe one.
If you’re going to eat an egg that cracked in the fridge, it’s important to take precautions when eating them, though.
Make sure the egg looks and smells okay before you cook it, and be sure to fully cook the yolk and white until they reach an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C). By taking these precautions, you can enjoy your food without worry.
Is It Bad To Leave Cracked Eggs In The Carton?
According to the Egg Safety Center, “Bacteria has the potential to be on the outside, as well as the inside of an egg, and mixing cracked eggs with intact eggs greatly increases the risk of bacteria transfer by hands, utensils, air, etc. We would also recommend never reusing egg cartons as they can be a reservoir for bacteria. Throw away egg cartons as soon as the eggs are all used.”
It’s very important to wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling a raw egg to avoid bacteria contamination. Also wash any utensils that came in contact with the raw eggs with warm, soapy water.
In addition, don’t put empty, cracked open eggshells back into the egg carton with the rest of the uncracked eggs.
I know some people will do this if they are composting their eggshells and cartons together, but stop it if you do this.
The outside of the egg can harbor harmful bacteria. So can the pores in the eggshell. You’re possibly contaminating the other good eggs that are left in the carton if you do this.
How Can You Tell If An Egg Is OK To Eat?
To tell if an egg is OK to eat, first look for the expiration date on the side of the carton. The carton will either show a sell-by date or an expiration date.
These terms are different and they are determined by the state where you purchase the eggs.
An expiration date tells you the eggs are no longer fresh. A sell by date tells you how long the store is allowed to sell the eggs. As long as your eggs are still within either of these dates, the eggs *should* be okay to eat.
The best way to know if an egg is safe to eat, however, is to check for any signs of spoilage. Check out the color and smell, as well as the texture of both the egg whites and the yolk.
A good egg yolk should be firm and rounded, not flat, and it shouldn’t be discolored (pinkish or greenish is not good). The white of the egg should not be runny or discolored either.
If there’s anything off about either one, then it’s probably best to discard such eggs.
If everything looks and smells fine, then your egg should be OK for consumption.
Just remember; the best food-safe strategy is to always wash hands and utensils with warm, soapy water before AND after handling raw eggs! That will help ensure that you don’t get sick from bacteria.
Water Test For Egg Freshness
The egg float test is a simple way to check freshness. It does not necessarily tell you if an egg is still good to eat, though.
An egg can sink and still be bad, while an egg that floats may still be fine to eat (2).
Heathline
To do the water test, fill a bowl with cold water and gently place your egg in the water. If the egg sinks to the bottom, then it’s still good to use.
Southern Living says, “However, if they sink, but stand on one end at the bottom of the glass or bowl, they’re not as fresh but still edible.”
It follows that if tan older egg floats to the top, then it’s probably best to discard it.
The reason you should use this test is because as eggs age, air pockets form inside the shell, making them less dense than fresh eggs. This makes the egg more likely to float.
So, if your egg floats, it means that it’s old.
For more information and guidelines about food safety – click here.
Final Thoughts About Whether Cracked Eggs Are Safe To Eat
Overall, cracked eggs are usually safe to eat as long as the egg wasn’t already cracked when you bought it at the store. Never buy eggs with a large crack or dent in them!
If an egg’s shell cracked while in your refrigerator or on the way home from the grocery store and the shell is still solid, and if there are no signs of discoloration or an unpleasant odor during a sniff test, it should be safe to eat within two days.
Make sure to open the cracked egg into an airtight container (don’t keep it in the original carton) and dispose of the shell in the garbage (then wash your hands well).
It’s always a good idea to do a float test if you’re unsure of the freshness of an egg and discard any cracked eggs that float in water.
As with all food, it’s important to practice proper storage techniques to ensure food safety. Be sure to refrigerate your eggs right away, keep them away from other foods, and use them within 3-5 weeks after purchase for best results!
This article has affiliate or sponsored links. If you buy something through those links I may earn a small commission. This won’t cost you extra. I only recommend things I really think are good, not just to make money. For more details, see my Affiliate Disclaimer.