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Bad Egg: Help your egg fight hordes of zombie chickens and get to the chopper!
Play as an egg and break your opponents in this hilarious action game. Choose from various weapons and modes, and compete with players from around the world in 1v1 or team games.
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- Game
- Overview
- Float test
- Smell test
- Visual inspection
- Expiration dates
- Candling
- How long do eggs stay fresh?
- Should you keep eggs in the fridge?
- Health risks of eating a bad egg
- Summary
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There are several ways to check if an egg is still good to eat. Examples include carrying out a float test, inspecting the shell, and looking at any expiration dates.
Eggs are a good source of protein and other essential nutrients. In this article, we look at some straightforward ways to tell whether an egg is safe to eat or not. We also discuss how long they stay fresh, whether to refrigerate them, and the health risks of eating a bad egg.
The float test is a quick and easy way to check the freshness of an egg. While it does not determine whether an egg has gone bad, it provides a useful indication of the age of an egg.
To perform the float test, place the egg in a large bowl of water. If it sinks or stays at the bottom, it is still fresh. An older egg will either stand on its end or float.
The float test works because air builds up inside the egg as it ages, increasing its buoyancy.
However, an egg that floats may still be safe to eat, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). A person can further test the egg by cracking it open to smell and checking it for visible signs of contamination.
One of the simplest and most reliable ways to tell whether an egg has gone bad is to smell it.
A bad egg will give off a foul odor when a person cracks the shell open, according to the USDA. This smell will be present even if someone has already cooked the egg.
In some cases, when an egg is very old or rotten, individuals can smell the foul odor before cracking it open.
People should throw out any eggs that give off a foul or unpleasant odor. As this test is very reliable, it is a good idea to smell every egg before using it.
Sometimes an egg will look or feel off. A person should check for signs of possible contamination or rottenness.
People should discard eggs with any of the following characteristics:
•cracks in the shell
•a powdery substance on the shell
•a shell that looks or feels slimy
Eggs with cracked or slimy shells may have become contaminated with bacteria, while a powdery substance on the shell can be a sign of mold.
People who keep eggs in the original carton can also check for an expiration date to see whether they are still safe to eat. However, the information on the carton can sometimes be a little confusing.
According to the USDA, the United States federal government does not require producers to print the expiration or sell-by date on egg cartons. However, some states require this information.
If an egg producer chooses to include an expiration date, it must be in month/day format and follow an appropriate prefix, such as “Exp.,” “Sell by,” and “Not to be sold after the date at the end of the carton.”
However, producers must include the pack date on all cartons of USDA-graded eggs.
A pack date is a three-digit number representing the day of the year when the producer washed, graded, and packed the eggs. For example, a pack date of 001 is January 1, and a pack date of 365 is December 31.
If a producer of USDA-graded eggs chooses to include an expiration date, it must be no more than 30 days after the pack date.
Candling is a technique that producers use to inspect the quality of an egg. It involves using a bright light to examine eggs for signs of cracking and interior defects.
Egg producers generally use automated conveyor belts and mechanical sensors to check large numbers of eggs quickly and efficiently. However, a person can also perform candling at home by holding an egg up to a bright light, such as a powerful flashlight or lamp, in a darkened room.
As with the float test, candling only checks the freshness of the egg. It will not confirm whether it is still safe to eat.
When they hold the egg up to the light, a person should be able to see the air cell inside it. The air cell is a small sac or bubble that is usually present in the larger end of the egg.
According to the USDA, refrigerated eggs stay fresh for 3–5 weeks after the pack date on the carton. However, displaying the pack date is only necessary for USDA-graded eggs.
The USDA recommends refrigerating eggs as soon as possible to maintain freshness and reduce the risk of Salmonella contamination.
The USDA also warns that people should not leave refrigerated eggs at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Cold eggs can sweat as they warm up, which can increase the risk of bacterial growth.
If a person eats raw eggs, they are at risk of a Salmonella infection, a form of food poisoning. Salmonella is a type of bacterium that can grow both on the shell and inside the yolk and egg white.
Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include:
•diarrhea
•abdominal cramps
•fever
•vomiting
When eggs spoil, they begin to smell bad, and the yolk and egg white may become discolored. Cracked or slimy eggshells can also be a sign of bacterial contamination.
Easy ways to determine an egg’s freshness include checking the expiration date, visually inspecting its shell, and cracking it open to smell the inside. If a person has any doubt about whether an egg has gone bad, they should throw it out.
Learn how to check the freshness and safety of eggs using various methods, such as float test, smell test, visual inspection, and expiration dates. Also, find out how long eggs stay fresh, whether to refrigerate them, and the health risks of eating a bad egg.
Apr 8, 2024 · Learn how to check the freshness and safety of your eggs by using smell, sight, date, water, and touch tests. Also, find out how long eggs last and what to do if you eat a bad egg.
Jun 21, 2023 · Learn four methods to check the freshness and safety of your eggs, such as expiration date, sniff test, visual inspection, and float test. Find out how to avoid wasting good eggs and prevent food-borne illness.
- Taylor Jones, RD
Feb 25, 2024 · Learn how to identify bad eggs by looking for signs of discoloration, smell, or floatation. Find out the risks of eating bad eggs and how to keep eggs fresh and safe.
May 26, 2024 · If you're not sure how long you've had your fresh eggs or if you think they are older than two months, learn the signs of bad and old eggs to help you decide whether or not you should use them in your cooking.
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