Is a cracked egg ever safe to eat? What you need to know

With the high price of eggs right now, it can be disheartening to open the carton at home and find that one or two of the eggs have cracked — either in transit on the way back from the grocery store or from some unknown cause in the refrigerator. .

U.S. egg production fell 4% in November as egg prices and bird flu cases continue to rise across the country, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), as FOX Business reported this week.

But what can be done with cracked eggs? Is all hope lost?

An egg expert shared some “eggs” on the subject.

“Basically, it’s about the moment the egg cracks,” Lisa Steele, author of Fresh Eggs Daily and a Maine-based backyard chicken expert, told Fox News Digital.

Steele said she “wouldn’t use an egg that I found cracked in a carton I bought at the store,” since a consumer has no idea how long it’s been sitting there cracked.

It is also important to check the eggs for any cracks before buying.

The eggshell, along with the egg membrane, protects the egg from harmful bacteria, such as salmonella.

“But if you know you just accidentally cracked the egg, then I would cook it and call it good,” she said.

During the winter, eggs from backyard hens are more susceptible to cracking due to cold temperatures, Steele told Fox News Digital.

For Steele personally, she said she would use an egg she recently cracked — but only if it still had an intact membrane.

“That membrane protects [the egg] from bacteria,” she said.

You can simply crack the egg into a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a lid, and use within two days – making sure to cook it fully to at least 160 degrees.

But if the membrane breaks, it’s not safe for humans to eat, Steele said.

It’s still good for the trash, though.

“The calcium in the shell is great for the soil,” she said.

The Department of Agriculture shared similar guidance on its website.

“Bacteria can enter the egg through cracks in the shell. Never buy cracked eggs,” the USDA said.

Eggs that crack during the cooking process, such as hard-boiling, “are safe,” the USDA noted.

These cracked eggs do not need to be discarded.

Also, “don’t forget that all eggs should be fully cooked,” said the same source.

While eggs have not historically been considered a “healthy food,” the FDA now classifies them as a “healthy, nutrient-dense” food, according to a new proposed rule.

The update is the result of changes in nutrition science and dietary recommendations, according to the agency.