2024-07-22 08:12:21
One of the most popular foods in the kitchen is also one of the most dangerous from a food safety perspective.
Experts in the field often say that food safety begins to weaken significantly when people buy a product and take it home from the supermarket. From there, the dangers begin. This happens with meat and fish, for example, if the cold chain is not properly maintained; or with vegetables, which despite their harmless appearance are the most dangerous. perfect breeding ground for the SalmonellaOf course, the same thing happens with eggs.
But how can we tell if an egg is really fresh, apart from its expiration date? Experts have some tricks that not everyone knows. Miguel Ángel Lurueña, doctor in Food Science and Technology, explained it some time ago. “To know the freshness of an egg we just have to observe it“, he argued in a message written some time ago on Twitter (now called X).
«As it ages, the yolk (1) swells and becomes off-center and the dense, fluid albumen (2 and 3) lose height and They occupy more surface area due to the increase in pH and the loss of water,” he added in his message written on Twitter (now called X) some time ago.
This staple food in many people’s diet, which is characterized by its high protein content, hides a good number of curiosities that the common man is unaware of.
For example, many people think that the more orange color of the egg yolk is a clear indication that we are dealing with a better product, than the hens that have laid this ovoid. They have been raised in a better environment or that we are dealing with a homemade product. Nothing could be further from the truth.
«We tend to think that eggs with bright orange yolks are more ‘authentic’, ‘natural’, ‘homemade’, healthy and tasty than those with soft colours. To achieve these shades, It is enough to include certain foods such as corn in the animals’ diet.“, writes Lurueña himself in his book Don’t let them fool you with food (Destiny, 2021).
Whatever the case, the truth is that the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (Aesan) establishes very clear guidelines so that eggs do not pose a danger to the population and the most basic food safety standards are met. Thus, it is essential, when we get home, Place them in the refrigerator to extend their shelf life. the maximum possible.
Aesan advises avoiding sudden changes in temperature when storing them (which is why it is better to place them on the shelves of the refrigerator and not in the door), and not washing or cleaning them, “since such practices can damage your shellwhich constitutes an effective barrier against the entry of bacteria.”
The Spanish Food Safety Agency also advises “taking eggs out of the refrigerator before use”, “taking out only the units that are going to be used”, and “cooking foods containing eggs correctly, until the white and yolk are set«For this last reason, the famous and exquisite Betanzos omelette is a danger from a nutritional point of view.