Determining the Freshness of an Egg

Is a farm-fresh, just-laid egg the freshest you can buy? There is some debate on this issue, as so many other factors help determine the freshness of an egg: the temperature at which it has been held, the storage humidity, and the handling process to name a few. Proper handling translates to prompt gathering, washing, and oiling within a few hours of the egg’s being laid. Most commercially produced eggs are handled with extreme care from laying to market and reach the marketplace within a few days of leaving the laying house. So, if handled properly by the producer, the market, and the buyer, even a commercially produced egg should be farm fresh when it reaches the table.