Handling and Storing Eggs

Producers handle eggs in ways that are meant to slow down the inevitable deterioration in quality. Eggs are gathered as shortly after laying as possible and immediately cooled. In the United States, they are then washed in warm water and detergent to remove the thousands of bacteria deposited on the shell during its passage through the hen’s cloacal opening. In the past, the washed eggs were given a fresh coat of mineral oil to retard the loss of both CO₂ and moisture; today, with most eggs getting to market just two days after laying and refrigerated during shipping as well as storage, oiling is limited to long-haul delivery routes.