Bats In My Belfry

When I arrived in Germany one of the big things I noticed was that eggs in the markets are kept and sold at room temperature (we won’t go into the utter shock I experienced upon first seeing bright orange yolks…that really threw me at first). Now, my American mind instantly said: Death by salmonella or the like. Then I decided, well…what the hell, let’s see what happens. So I bought and ate eggs from all the markets we shop at. I have to admit that I still stick ‘em in the ‘fridge when I get them home but after six years? I have not croaked. Or gotten even a mild tummy ache. Nothin’. And I eat eggs fairly often.

Now this puzzles me. In the States we are warned big time to always keep eggs (and egg products) refrigerated else we will become terribly ill. I wondered why folks here (and by “here” I mean Southern Germany, I have no idea what occurs outside this region with regard to egg storage) aren’t keeling over left and right from dread diseases contracted via “improper egg storage”.

Was it the turnover rate? Was it differing conditions in keeping the chickens? Was it some sort of immunity built up by people eating room-temperature eggs starting early in life? Was it…magic? I’m still not sure but recently I read a comment on a site posted by a French person about how they kept eggs in their cupboard and didn’t suffer any ill effects. This was immediately called into discussion by some American posters. One reply intrigued me and I am going to try to find out the actual science involved here. It basically said that once an egg has been refrigerated the protein makeup of the egg changes and it must henceforth be refrigerated. However, if an egg has never been refrigerated it can be kept for an extended time at room temperature (cool, dark place).

Hmmm. I’m not sure the local Edeka (especially in the summer) can be considered “cool & dark” (air conditioning is not very common here although the past few years has seen an increase in use in stores). Still…I’m not dead. No one I know here has even become ill from eating eggs.

I had always assumed that folk eating eggs in the past didn’t have issues because they went out and rummaged an egg or three out from underneath the broodies and consumed them very shortly thereafter. Now, I’m not so sure anymore. In this area, eggs are ONLY sold at room temperature (in either the standard egg cartons, neatly labeled with when the eggs were laid, where they were laid and expiration date) or loose in a basket (with coded stamps on each individual egg) or the likes with cartons so you may pick and choose your own.

No deaths.

I’m still curious but I haven’t had any issues myself.

Edit: Found this URL which seems to explain it.