FAQs

Yes! According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs), eggs are a nutrient-dense food, providing significant nutrients for the calories they contain. The DGAs also include eggs within all recommended healthy eating patterns. One large egg has 13 essential vitamins and minerals, all for only 70 calories.

The color of the egg shell or yolk has nothing to do with the egg’s nutritional value, quality, or flavor. Hens with white feathers and white earlobes lay white eggs, while hens with red feathers and red earlobes lay brown eggs.

The amount of time you have to store eggs varies, but standard eggs purchased from the store usually stay fresh for about three weeks after they're purchased.

Refrigerate eggs at 40°F or less and store them in their original carton on an inside shelf. The carton keeps the eggs from picking up odors or flavors from other foods and helps prevent moisture loss. Reference this handy chart for more egg storage tips.

Dates on egg cartons and all other food packaging reflect food quality, not food safety. A “sell-by” date ensures eggs aren’t kept on shelves past a certain date. A "use-by" date indicates the date at which an egg's quality may start to decline. Eggs can be safely eaten 2-3 weeks beyond the "sell-by" date and for at least a few days beyond the "use-by" date, though you may notice a decline in quality in the second case.

No. According to the USDA, it is not necessary or recommended to wash your eggs because egg producers are already required to sanitize their eggs. When egg producers wash their eggs, they eliminate any harmful bacteria, but they also dissolve the egg's cuticle — the natural protective layer around the egg. Washing eggs again after purchase can increase the risk of harmful bacteria entering the egg because it no longer has a cuticle to protect it.

In fresh eggs, the albumen (egg white) tends to stick to the inner shell membrane due to the less acidic environment of the egg.

After the eggshell’s natural protective layer slowly wears off, the egg becomes porous, absorbs more air, and releases some of its carbon dioxide. The absorbed air makes the albumen slightly more acidic, causing it to stick to the inner membrane less. Over time, the egg white also shrinks slightly, so the air space between the eggshell and the membrane grows larger, meaning that less fresh boiled eggs are easier to peel.

Nope. Most of the eggs’ nutrients and nearly half of the protein (just over 40%) are found in the yolk.

These are called chalazae. Chalazae are ropey strands of egg white that anchor the yolk in place in the center. Their presence indicates that the egg is very fresh. Chalazae are neither imperfections nor beginning embryos. Chalazae don’t interfere with the cooking or beating of the white and you don’t need to remove them, although some cooks like to strain them from stirred custard.

Yolk color is based on the hen’s diet and does not represent the egg's nutritional value. A deeper yellow or orange yolk comes from eating feed high in marigold extract or outdoor plants.

Yes! Blood spots simply indicate a rupture in the tiny blood vessels in the egg. They are more common in eggs laid by younger or older hens. The spots are not harmful, and the egg is still edible and not of lower quality.

No. A hen will lay eggs whether there is a rooster present or not.

A hen requires about 24-26 hours to produce an egg. Based on the hen's natural circadian rhythm, most eggs are laid between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.