Should eggs be stored in the refrigerator? Or should it be stored at room temperature?

Most Japanese would say refrigerator. But overseas, especially in the UK, this is not always the case. The British media Daily Mail reports .


According to the media, there has been a long-standing debate on the issue in Britain. People who insist that they should be stored in the refrigerator think that eggs may contain bacteria such as Salmonella, and that these bacteria can grow and be dangerous if stored at room temperature.

On the other hand, some people think that it should not be stored in the refrigerator. The people argue that eggs can be stored in the refrigerator for the same amount of time, with or without it, and that there are many disadvantages to storing them in the refrigerator. Refrigerator egg cases are often attached to the refrigerator door. For this reason, the eggs are vibrated each time the door is opened and closed, which affects the quality. In addition, when stored in the refrigerator, the smell of other foods in the refrigerator may be transferred, and the flavor of the eggs may be impaired.

Which is correct in both claims? To unravel this mystery, the Daily Mail commissioned a British government-approved laboratory, Foodtest Laboratories, in West Yorkshire, England.

In the survey, eggs purchased at a supermarket were used. This was divided into a group stored in a refrigerator with an internal temperature set to 6 degrees and a group stored indoors, and the states after 1 week and 2 weeks were compared. The numbers of Escherichia coli K12 strains, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter contained in the eggs were compared.

As a result of the investigation, it was found that there was no difference in the bacterial counts between the two groups.

Neither the group stored in the refrigerator nor the group stored at room temperature detected the above-mentioned bacteria. Eggs were sterile in both groups, not only at the start, but also after one week and two weeks.

Jay Tolley, Operational Quality Manager at Foodtest, said:

"We found that there was no benefit to refrigerating eggs compared to storing them at room temperature."

The Daily Mail says the survey has resolved long-standing questions. But at the same time, British citizens are faced with new challenges in how to effectively utilize the space created after removing eggs from the refrigerator.

Please note that the results of this survey may not be applicable to Japanese eggs due to differences in egg harvesting methods and weather conditions between Japan and the United Kingdom.