Friends who enjoy sunny-side-up eggs, soft-boiled eggs, and onsen eggs must have heard of "edible raw eggs" or "sterile eggs." Compared to regular eggs, edible raw eggs often come with a much higher price tag. Are these eggs truly sterile? Do they have higher nutritional content? Can they be consumed with confidence? Let's address all the questions about edible raw eggs in one go.

As the name suggests, edible raw eggs are eggs that can be consumed raw. They can be eaten directly without cooking, with both the yolk and the egg white consumed as is. This implies much higher requirements for the quality, grade, and hygiene safety of the eggs.

Most companies producing edible raw eggs control potential bacterial contamination at every stage of egg production, packaging, transportation, and storage. They then use processes such as pasteurization to achieve a "sterile" state for the eggs.

The International Food Exhibition has noted that "sterile eggs" do not mean that all bacteria on the surface of the egg are killed. Instead, it refers to limiting the bacterial content inside the egg to strict standards, meaning they are not completely sterile. In fact, what we commonly refer to as "sterile eggs" should more accurately be called "low-bacteria eggs."

The primary concern is Salmonella. Salmonella is a common pathogen found in meat, eggs, and dairy products. It is heat-sensitive but cold-resistant, with a strong ability to survive at low temperatures. It can live in a refrigerator for 3-4 months. When the ambient temperature reaches 100°C, Salmonella will die instantly.

In foodborne illness outbreaks caused by Salmonella, raw or undercooked eggs are one of the main sources of Salmonella infection. Infection with Salmonella can cause acute fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, chills, vomiting, and bloody stools. Symptoms may last from a few days to a week, with diarrhea potentially persisting for up to 10 days.

Current food safety standards do not require microbial indicators for regular non-ready-to-eat eggs, but they do set limits for Salmonella in edible raw eggs. Therefore, ordinary raw eggs should not be eaten raw, and soft-boiled eggs are also not recommended. If eggs are thoroughly cooked, there is no need to worry about bacterial issues. In fact, the production process of edible raw eggs focuses on preventing Salmonella contamination. Cooking food thoroughly is a basic measure to prevent Salmonella. Contamination of eggs and eggshells has been identified as one of the main causes of foodborne Salmonella.

The two most common pathogens of foodborne Salmonella are Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Enteritidis. Both serotypes can proliferate in the reproductive organs of hens (oviduct and ovaries) and are major causes of foodborne diseases.

This means that, on one hand, Salmonella may infect the hen's reproductive tract (including ovaries and oviducts) and enter the yolk and egg white during egg formation. On the other hand, Salmonella may adhere to the eggshell through feces and soil. Since eggshells have a porous structure, Salmonella can penetrate the shell surface and enter the egg.

It depends on the entire process of egg production, processing, storage, distribution, and consumption, covering multiple aspects such as breed introduction, breeding environment, inputs, storage and transportation, and sales. There is a risk of contamination by pathogens like Salmonella and parasites at each of these stages. If any stage is not properly controlled, consuming raw eggs poses significant safety risks.

Additionally, edible raw eggs purchased online or from supermarkets usually come in packs of a dozen or more and need to be stored at home for several days before being consumed. Even the freshest edible raw eggs have likely passed their optimal "tasting period" for raw consumption, which means there are significant risks associated with eating them raw.

At present, edible raw eggs are an emerging product in China, and there are no national standards to regulate them compulsorily. Edible raw eggs on the market mainly refer to group standards or corporate standards.

Take the group standard (T/CAI 008-2021) as an example, which has special requirements for edible raw eggs in the following aspects:

- In terms of contaminants, it adds requirements for inorganic arsenic and chromium, which are not specified in the national standards for fresh eggs.

- In terms of microbiology, it includes testing and requirements for Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes.

- In terms of freshness, it requires the highest grade, AA.

- In terms of storage and transportation, it stipulates that eggs should be transported and stored at 0-10°C.

- In terms of time, it specifies a 15-day period for raw consumption.

The nutritional value of eggs depends on what the hens eat, that is, the quality of the feed, and not on whether they are "sterile eggs." Eggs are inherently rich in high-quality protein, lecithin, vitamin A, amino acids, and other nutrients, regardless of whether they are edible raw eggs. As for nutrients like selenium, they can also be added through feed, and their presence is unrelated to sterility.

In fact, for consumers, compared to cooked eggs, raw eggs retain more nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamins A, D, E, and omega-3 fatty acids because they are not heated. However, they also retain trypsin inhibitors, which slightly reduce the digestibility of proteins in raw eggs.

The absence of a fishy smell in eggs is not unique to sterile eggs. Whether an egg has a fishy smell depends on the breed of chicken and the feed used. If the feed contains a large amount of rapeseed meal, rapeseed oil, fishmeal, or choline chloride, the hen will produce more fishy substances, resulting in a stronger fishy smell in the eggs.

For the elderly, children, and other groups, it is recommended to consume cooked eggs for food safety and better nutrient absorption. When purchasing edible raw eggs, pay attention to the standards they follow and choose brands that adhere to "group standards" or "corporate standards." Select merchants with qualified cold-chain transportation and storage. Edible raw eggs have an optimal period for raw consumption, so do not buy too many at once and consume them within the recommended time frame. Edible raw eggs require higher storage conditions and should be stored separately and isolated.

If you would like to learn more about the food industry, please visit the SIAL China website for more information.

Source: China Food News Network

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