similarly stupid is not washing the eggs and then still refrigerating them because people assume it’s necessary because they see it in stuff from the USA even though it wasn’t like that for their entire life and everything was fine
Well it’s illegal (in the EU) for stores to refrigerate them as that would risk condensation forming when consumers transport them back home. Once at home refrigerating them is perfectly fine, in fact cartons might come with both “best before” and “to be refrigerated by” dates: If you want to keep them longer, put them in the fridge, if not, don’t bother.
No. Actually it is recommended by our German consumers association (Verbraucherzentrale), to store the unwashed eggs in the fridge at 2 - 6 °C ( 36 - 43 °F) for up to 4 - 6 weeks. However, the ‘eggs’ compartment in the door is not suitable, as when the door is opened, water may condense on the shell and spoil the protection layer.
supermarkets don’t just have empty fridges running though… if they didn’t have eggs there, they’d fill it with other produce that they’d sell (and wouldn’t likely fill it with things they wouldn’t sell: supermarkets like spoilage even less than energy waste), or they’d not have that section refrigerated
similarly stupid is not washing the eggs and then still refrigerating them because people assume it’s necessary because they see it in stuff from the USA even though it wasn’t like that for their entire life and everything was fine
Well it’s illegal (in the EU) for stores to refrigerate them as that would risk condensation forming when consumers transport them back home. Once at home refrigerating them is perfectly fine, in fact cartons might come with both “best before” and “to be refrigerated by” dates: If you want to keep them longer, put them in the fridge, if not, don’t bother.
this is absolutely what i wish they’d do here (australia)
Is refrigerating unwashed eggs harmful in any way though?
No. Actually it is recommended by our German consumers association (Verbraucherzentrale), to store the unwashed eggs in the fridge at 2 - 6 °C ( 36 - 43 °F) for up to 4 - 6 weeks. However, the ‘eggs’ compartment in the door is not suitable, as when the door is opened, water may condense on the shell and spoil the protection layer.
other than being a waste of electricity it’s not
It’s not much of a waste. The fridge is going to be running anyway, with or without the eggs, isn’t it?
supermarkets don’t just have empty fridges running though… if they didn’t have eggs there, they’d fill it with other produce that they’d sell (and wouldn’t likely fill it with things they wouldn’t sell: supermarkets like spoilage even less than energy waste), or they’d not have that section refrigerated