Dating Eggs…With A Laser

posted in Eggs by Kathy Maister

I bought these laser dated eggs here in Boston just the other day. Not all eggs are laser dated yet. For now, it’s just certain “brands.”

Chowhound did a great post on laser stamping eggs. It was actually the 26 comments that really told the story. Some who commented loved the idea, some hated it. It is a great way to keep track of your eggs if you put your eggs in the egg holder in the refrigerator. (They say you are NOT supposed to store eggs there, but everyone does!) Once you have taken the eggs out of the original carton, there is no quick way to know how old the egg is.

For those who want to know more about expiration dates on foods, check out the USDA site. As always, the USDA is a great source of information

The little stickers on fruits are the next thing to go. They are going to get replaced by the laser as well. Has anyone seen that yet?

They say that there soon will be advertising on each egg! I can’t imagine what this is all going to mean for dyeing eggs at Easter? Will we buy them pre-dyed?

Cheers!

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4 Comments

will said:

I think I’ll start to worry when they can genetically modify the chickens to produce their own labels! Laser is probably cleaner than ink no ?

About refrigeration, I ‘ve been getting some mixed signals. From people here in North America, I get this phobia of anything not stored in the fridge, but in France, my relatives shriek that refrigeration destroys the flavor of food.

what’s your opinion on refrigeration and flavor ?

Kathy Maister said:

You are right; there are many foods that taste better at room temperature. Cheese is probable the best example of that. Here in America we tend to refrigerate everything and then bring it to room temp before eating. I think it has more to do with the food shopping habits in France (daily) vs. in America (weekly). I put virtually everything in the refrigerator except tomatoes, potatoes and onions and garlic.

I was talking to my local wine merchant yesterday and he told me the red wine I was buying should be served at 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and suggested putting it in the refrigerator for a few minutes before serving! (Will, I think I can hear you saying, â€œOH NO!â€)

There is a reason eggs are stored differently in Europe than in the USA. My post â€œBorn in the USAâ€ explains why.
â€œIn the USA, government standards say all eggs must be washed and stored in at temperatures no higher than 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Washing the eggs is a good thing but it does leave the eggs without an outer coating and very susceptible to invasion by bacteria. Hence refrigeration is absolutely necessary.

In Europe eggs are not washed and donâ€™t have to be refrigerated. Who knew?â€

Jon Sacker said:

Without necessarily reverting to a discussion we have had before, all the cook books I have read on the subject recommend bringing eggs up to room temperature before cooking them.