Safe Egg Handling

Safe Handling

Wash hands, utensils, equipment, and work areas with hot, soapy water before and after they come in contact with eggs and egg-containing foods.

Remove only the number of eggs needed from the carton and return the carton to the refrigerator.

Cook eggs until the white is completely firm and the yolk begins to thicken but is not hard. Scrambled eggs should be cooked until no visible liquid remains. Fried eggs should be cooked on both sides or in a covered pan.

Take care when preparing egg-containing foods that are not cooked or are only lightly cooked before serving, such as ice cream, eggnog, mayonnaise, caesar salad, hollandaise sauce, or bearnaise sauce. Only use recipes that start with a stirred egg custard base that is first cooked to 160 °F.

If a recipe calls for adding raw eggs to a previously cooked dish, the dish must be cooked further until it reaches 160 °F.

When preparing any recipe that contains eggs, resist the temptation to taste-test the mixture during preparation. Egg-containing foods should be thoroughly cooked before eating.

When preparing and serving eggs and egg-rich foods, keep them out of the refrigerator no more than 2 hours total, not including cooking time.

If hot egg-rich foods are not going to be served immediately after cooking, put the hot foods into shallow containers and refrigerate at once so they will cool quickly.

For information about egg safety, call USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline. The national toll-free number is 800-535-4555. In the Washington, DC, area, call (202) 720-3333.