Is It Safe to Eat an Egg With a Cracked Shell?

It has probably happened to you. You open a new carton of eggs and find one with a small crack. Throwing away an otherwise good egg can feel wasteful, especially when egg prices are high. But Good Housekeeping reports that a crack is not just a cosmetic problem. It can mean the egg is no longer safe to eat.

An eggshell is a hard, porous covering made from calcium carbonate, protein and other minerals. It protects what is inside from damage and from bacteria. Once the shell is broken, it can no longer do that job. Even in an egg that will never hatch, the yolk and white can become contaminated and make a person sick.

Whether you can eat a cracked egg depends on when it cracked. Dr. Darin Detwiler, a food scientist and professor emeritus of food policy, says that an egg that has been cracked on a store shelf for days or weeks is most likely contaminated. He explains that there are germs, called pathogens, on the outside of eggs, on the shells, and they can easily move from the shell to the egg inside. This is why it is smart to check your eggs before you buy them. They should be clean, with no visible dirt and no cracks.

What if an egg cracks on the way home, or when you put it down on the counter? Detwiler says it is probably going to be fine. But he recommends using that egg right away, instead of putting it back in the fridge raw.

The best way to cook an egg that is already cracked, according to Detwiler, is to scramble it or fry it until it is no longer runny. Runny whites and yolks are riskier than fully cooked ones, especially if bacteria have reached them. The Egg Safety Center recommends that cracked eggs reach a minimum of 165 degrees Fahrenheit when cooked. That is much higher than the temperature recommended for regular eggs, which is at least 144 degrees for scrambled or fried eggs.