Did you know there is a significant increase in the risk of bacteria invading eggs when they are washed? You would think the opposite would be true. People have asked me how our eggs that we sell are so clean when we don’t wash them with water, and I thought I would explain our routine and what we have learned about producing safe eggs.

All eggs that are sold in the store are required to be washed and sanitized in the United States. It’s actually ILLEGAL to wash eggs in Europe! The problem with the rule of washing eggs in the US is that eggs are porous, and when they are washed, the natural coating that God created to protect the chick from harmful bacteria gets removed. This loss of coating increases the risk of bacteria invading the egg. It’s interesting to note that it is very hard for bacteria to enter a dry egg. Since our modern eggs are produced by hens living in an unnatural environment with its lack of sunshine, fresh air, and greens, along with the fact that eggs are required to be washed, it’s no wonder there are so many egg recalls.

I love cleanliness, and I thought I was doing the right thing by washing our eggs several years ago. When we started selling eggs, I did a lot more research and learned how risky washing was, so I stopped. Our primary focus in producing safe eggs for our customers is cleanliness. Aiden does a great job of keeping our nest boxes and the chickens’ environment clean and this helps our eggs to be cleaner. Nothing is perfect (especially with chickens) so all of the eggs that are dirty go to our family (which usually isn’t too many) and the clean ones go to our customers. If an egg has a little dirt, I simply take some sandpaper and scrape it off.

While there is no guarantee that all this hard work is going to produce a perfectly safe egg, I’m confident that providing a clean environment, feeding beyond organic, sprouted feed and natural minerals, allowing the birds abundant sunshine, and pasture during the growing season, not only decreases the risk of harmful bacteria entering the eggs, it also produces a flavorful, nutrient dense meal for your family and mine.

Where do you get your eggs? We love to hear from you!