Food Safety Issues/How long can eggs last?

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Expert: Alex Avery - 2/12/2004


Question
Hi,

I don't have a complicated question -- just don't want to be poisoned.  I have some (hen) eggs that have been sitting in the refrigerator for 6 months.  Are they still edible?  What about the salted preserved duck eggs?  They have been sitting in there for about the same period of time also.

Thank you.

Answer
As long as the hen eggs were refridgerated over the six months, they should be ok to eat COOKED!  Don't use them in any raw egg recipes, such as ceaser salad.

The salt preserved duck eggs should be fine as well. The high salt content will protect against bacterial growth -- like salt-cured hams.

Alex

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Alex Avery

Expertise

Questions regarding organic food, agriculture, pesticides, herbicides, environmental issues, food safety, bacterial infection, agricultural economics, crop biotechnology, wildlife conservation, erosion, global food issues.

Experience

Director of research and education with the Center for Global Food Issues at Hudson Institute. Prior to joining Hudson in 1994, I was a McKnight research fellow at Purdue University, where I worked to develop drought-resistant sorghum varieties for the Sudan of Africa.
I have spoken to a wide variety of national and international audiences and have represented the Center at the United Nations World Food Summit in Rome. I have written numerous articles which were published in leading newspapers and am currently working on a book.





Organizations
Center for Global Food Issues

Publications
Washington Times, American Outlook, Global Food Quarterly, Des Moines Register, USA Today Magazine, Canada's Western Producer, New York Post and others.


Awards and Honors
McKnight Research Fellowship at Purdue University

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