If you’re asking, do eggs need refrigeration, the answer depends partly on where you live and whether the eggs were washed before sale. The safest rule for home handling is simple: don’t wash eggs, follow the carton’s instructions, and keep their storage temperature steady.
Why Washing Practices Differ
Eggs can carry Salmonella on the shell or inside the egg, even when they look clean. In the United States, commercial eggs are generally washed and sanitized to reduce contamination on the shell, then kept refrigerated during distribution and at home. U.S. rules require refrigeration during transport and storage; at home, keep eggs in a refrigerator at 40°F (about 4°C) or colder.
Many European eggs are handled differently. EU rules restrict washing eggs for sale as Class A, with exceptions for authorized systems, and require that Class A eggs are not artificially refrigerated before sale. In the UK, eggs are commonly sold unrefrigerated, but Food Standards Agency advice is to store them in the fridge, in their carton, at a steady temperature.
Australian shops also commonly display eggs at room temperature. Food safety advice recommends refrigeration at home, although retail storage rules are not as prescriptive as in the United States. These differences reflect distinct supply-chain systems; they don’t mean that an egg sold unrefrigerated should be washed or left out indefinitely.
Should You Wash Eggs at Home?
No. A hen’s egg has a natural outer coating, called the cuticle, that helps protect the shell’s pores. Washing can damage or remove that coating. Water and splashes can also spread bacteria from a dirty shell to your hands, sink, utensils, or nearby food. Under some conditions, washing may help move bacteria through shell pores rather than remove the risk.
Commercial washing is part of a controlled process that may include sanitizing. A rinse at your kitchen sink is not the same thing. Keep eggs dry in their carton, and wash your hands and any surfaces that touch raw egg or shell.
Storage Advice: Do eggs need refrigeration?
For U.S. eggs, refrigeration is essential because they are washed and distributed cold. Elsewhere, store eggs according to local advice and the carton label. If you buy eggs unrefrigerated in the UK, EU, or Australia, you can put them in the fridge at home; keeping them chilled consistently is a sensible way to slow quality loss. Store them in their original carton rather than in the refrigerator door, where temperatures can fluctuate more.
Avoid moving eggs repeatedly between cold and warm conditions. When a cold egg warms in humid air, condensation can form on the shell. That moisture may make it easier for bacteria on the shell to spread or enter through pores. If you refrigerate eggs, keep them refrigerated instead of taking them out for extended periods and returning them to the fridge. If eggs were sold chilled, don’t leave them at room temperature for storage.
A 2021 laboratory study by Samiullah Khan and colleagues compared deliberately inoculated eggs stored at 5°C and 25°C. Salmonella Typhimurium increased in the yolk and white at 25°C; in a separate mouse experiment, animals fed contaminated yolk stored at that temperature developed salmonellosis, while those given refrigerated samples did not show signs during the experiment. Because the eggs were deliberately contaminated and the illness test involved mice, the study does not measure the risk from ordinary eggs in your kitchen. It does support avoiding prolonged warm storage.
A 2023 study by Ji-Hoon An and colleagues in Korea measured egg quality under different temperature scenarios, using eggs from four farms and a grading and packing center. Refrigeration after retail exposure improved quality measures, including for eggs exposed to temperatures as high as 35°C. The study measured quality, not Salmonella illness, so it cannot establish that a particular temperature history makes an egg microbiologically safe.
What to Do With Eggs Bought Unrefrigerated
Check the carton and follow the guidance where you live. If your local supply is sold unrefrigerated, choose intact eggs and store them in a cool place or the refrigerator as local guidance recommends. If you choose the fridge, keep them there. In countries where eggs are sold chilled, buy them cold and refrigerate them promptly. There is no single worldwide answer to how long do eggs last in the fridge: dates and handling differ, so use the carton’s date and discard eggs that are cracked or have been stored contrary to its instructions.
If you are unsure how to handle eggs from a farm stall, backyard flock, or another supply chain, ask the seller how they were cleaned and stored, then check your local food-safety guidance. People at higher risk from foodborne illness should be especially careful with raw or undercooked eggs and seek advice from a clinician if they have concerns about symptoms after eating them.