Are eggs safe after sell by date?

If you’re like me, you’ve probably found yourself staring at a carton of eggs in the fridge wondering if they are still safe to eat. You may have even noticed that small ‘sell by’ date printed on the side and wondered if it meant anything. Well, worry no more! This article will answer all your burning questions about eggs and their sell-by dates.

What is a sell-by date?

Let’s start with the basics – what exactly is a sell-by date? A ‘sell by‘ date is an indication to retailers of when to remove products from shelves for inventory management purposes; it doesn’t mean that the food item has gone bad.

It’s important to note that ‘sell by‘ dates are not regulated or standardized; they vary among states, manufacturers, products and brands.

How long do eggs last past their sell by date?

Here comes everyone’s favorite question: how long after its ‘sell-by‘ date can I enjoy my eggcelent brunch without getting sick? At this point there’s two options:

1) GROSS: if I had forgotten about my egg purchase because of excessive anxiety during quarantine cooking frenzy and suddenly remembered several months later before throwing away stale crackers just lying around for years, am I screwed?

2) NORMAL PEOPLE: If I want an exact number… most sources agree on 3-5 weeks past that “sell-by” stamp slap dabbed onto our cute little egg friends.

That being said… don’t always trust sourceless crazy people online shouting their love for eating month-old fried eggs smothered in Sriracha butter—a delicious combo nevertheless—with complete disregard for basic common sense.

While many professional chefs suggest using fresh (meaning unpasteurized), high-quality eggs within one week of purchase, others recommend consuming them up to three weeks after buying them.

The bottom line: it’s important to use your best judgement when determining if an egg past its ‘sell-by‘ date is still safe to eat. A quick and easy method to check eggs’ freshness at your crib consist of:

  • Placing the egg in a bowl or glass filled with cold water
  • If the egg sinks , that means it’s fresh! Eat up.
  • If the egg floats? Go get some more.

What happens if you eat expired eggs?

We’ve all heard horror stories about people getting sick from eating old or expired eggs, but what exactly can happen? Well, first things first, we need to establish the difference between expiration dates (meant as strict recommendation) and “sell by” dates.

Most often “expired” tends refering only for food labeled with that magical word — alluding potential funghi growth outta nowhere causing imbalance on our gut flora (correctly known as bacterial microbiome). This helps explain why many foods like cheese have longer shelf lives than meat since fungi development occurs later than bacteria reproduction.

However… many consumers often confuse “best before,” “use by,” “display until” and other labeling instructions. In turn believing these stamps automatically indicate fast spoilage once they pass this mark seems rather arbitrary.

A, there are certain risks peaking interest even amongst those who claim usual resilience towards bacteria microbes (and are not bulls resistant due selective breeding), such as salmonella invasion capable causing diarrhea along serious trouble extending spinal cord disabilities usually seen free range factory chickens exposed within breeding ponds of feces-ridden environment (that may also affect those referring themselves vegan by virtue signaling reasons).

Overall consuming outdated runny yolked creations could lead one into danger zone AKA hospital bed with food poisoning.

Top Tips for Proper Egg Storage

To avoid nasty consequences after eating eggs gone bad let’s review tips on how to store eggs properly.

TIP #1: Store eggs on the inside shelf of your refrigerator, as opposed to the door. This is because temperature fluctuations can occur more frequently in the door, which can negatively impact egg quality.

TIP #2: Preventing cross-contamination with shells and raw liquid parts by separating them within clean seals safe containers promoting ideal chillness at fridged bounds.

Or surprise twist, why don’t you try adding some pickled eggs to that still warm ketchup slathered meatloaf !(Note: do not try this)

Summing It Up…

While ‘sell-by‘ dates are meant for retailers and inventory management purposes, they can give consumers a helpful guideline when deciding whether or not to eat an egg past its prime. Ultimately, it’s up to each individual to use their best judgement when determining if an older egg is still safe to consume.

So… although expiration tends relative rather than solid value depending exact conditions found after few weeks beyond any given date , consuming salmonella topped congealed yolks might be one gamble we don’t advise betting on – even during quarantine boredom induced cravings!

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