Expert: Carol Schlitt - 12/20/2006

Question
If I have eggs in room temperature for three days, are they still ok to use?

Answer
Hi Janna,

In the US we recommend that eggs be refrigerated to ensure a safer product. Eggs can be refrigerated up to 5-6 weeks and still be safe to use.  After that time the quality of the eggs goes down.

For every hour an egg is at room temperature, it loses one day of freshness. By refrigerating eggs, you both increase the shelf life and the safety -- a win-win situation.

So -- are eggs left at room temperature safe to use? Maybe -- maybe not.  All I can say is the chances of the egg being unsafe increased because of being left at room temperature.

I hope this answers your question. If you should have additional questions, please let me know.

Happy Holidays.

Carol