Shell Egg Refrigeration and When to Use Pasteurized Eggs

Shell eggs can carry Salmonella even when the shell looks clean. Temperature control limits growth, while pasteurization reduces pathogens in eggs used in foods that are not cooked thoroughly. Food managers should distinguish untreated shell eggs from pasteurized egg products and follow the adopted Food Code and local requirements.

Receiving and storage

Receive clean, sound shell eggs in refrigerated equipment that maintains ambient air at 45°F (7°C) or below. Untreated shell eggs must remain at or below that temperature while stored and displayed. Keep them protected from contamination, rotate stock, and follow the package date and supplier instructions. Do not rely on a cool surface temperature reading if the surrounding storage air is above the requirement.

Recipes with raw or lightly cooked egg

For dishes such as Caesar dressing, hollandaise, mayonnaise, eggnog, ice cream, or beverages that will not be thoroughly cooked, FDA guidance recommends using pasteurized shell eggs or pasteurized egg products. This is especially important when serving people at higher risk of severe illness. If raw shell eggs are used, the applicable Food Code may require a consumer advisory and other controls; check the jurisdiction’s adopted rule.

Cooking and holding still matter

Pasteurized ingredients do not eliminate the need for clean handling, cold holding, safe cooking, or contamination prevention. Cook egg dishes to the temperature and time required for the food and customer population. Cool cooked egg dishes using the applicable two-stage cooling limits and hold cold or hot food at the required temperatures.

Manager checklist

• Check shell eggs at receiving and refrigerate promptly.
• Maintain ambient air at 45°F or below for untreated shell eggs.
• Use pasteurized eggs in uncooked or lightly cooked recipes as recommended.
• Prevent contact between raw egg and ready-to-eat foods.
• Follow local rules for consumer advisories and cooking temperatures.

Key takeaway

Cold storage controls untreated eggs; pasteurized product is the safer ingredient for recipes that remain raw or undercooked. Apply cooking and handling rules to the finished dish as well.

Keep cold storage continuous and controlled Untreated shell eggs in retail food service are held in refrigeration equipment that maintains ambient air at 45°F (7°C) or below under the FDA model. This is the Food Code receiving/storage threshold for shell eggs; consumer advice often recommends a home refrigerator at 40°F or below, which is a more protective target. A manager should use the commercial requirement adopted locally and any stricter facility standard. Store eggs in their original clean carton or an approved container, protect them from raw-food drips, and avoid placing them in a door or other warm, fluctuating location. Check cooler air and rotate stock while preserving supplier and date information.

Do not wash shells at the establishment or use cracked eggs. A cracked shell can admit contamination, and a dirty carton can transfer soil to nearby surfaces. Keep eggs below ready-to-eat foods if any leakage is possible. After handling shell eggs, wash hands and clean and sanitize equipment that contacted the raw egg. Separate cracking from ready-to-eat preparation, and never reuse a container that held raw egg for a finished food without proper cleaning and sanitizing.

Choose pasteurized eggs for raw or lightly cooked recipes For dressings, sauces, drinks, desserts, and other recipes served raw or undercooked, use pasteurized shell eggs or pasteurized egg products unless the finished food will be cooked to the required time and temperature. Pasteurization reduces Salmonella risk, but it does not make product immune to recontamination after opening. Keep pasteurized eggs under the label's refrigeration instructions, use clean utensils, avoid adding them to a contaminated batch, and track opened product under the facility's date-marking procedures.

Commercially prepared mayonnaise and sauces often use pasteurized ingredients, but verify the label instead of assuming. If a recipe uses untreated eggs, make sure its process is lawful, approved where required, and accompanied by any consumer advisory required for raw or undercooked animal foods. A high-risk population can change what is permitted; check the Code provisions and local rules before serving raw egg foods in a nursing home, hospital, or similar operation.

Scenario: brunch hollandaise A cook prepares hollandaise using shell eggs for a buffet. The manager verifies whether the eggs are pasteurized, how the sauce is prepared and held, and whether local requirements permit the process. If untreated eggs are used and the finished sauce is not cooked to the required temperature, switch to pasteurized product or a compliant cooked recipe. Keep the sauce within its hot or cold holding limit, use a clean ladle, and discard it according to the approved time-control procedure.

Exam distinction The 45°F threshold applies to the ambient air in commercial refrigeration under the model Code for untreated shell eggs. The 145°F/15-second immediate-service egg rule and 155°F/17-second rule for eggs not prepared for immediate service are cooking standards, not storage standards. Follow the current adopted code and FDA egg guidance.

Follow the label and handle broken eggs safely Store cartons so employees can read the lot and date, and rotate older stock first while checking quality. Keep eggs in a clean, covered container and do not wash shells at the establishment. Crack eggs into a clean utensil or bowl immediately before use rather than onto the rim of a shared pan. If shell fragments fall into a mixture, remove them with a clean utensil and avoid dipping fingers into the food. Wash hands after handling shells and sanitize surfaces that contacted raw egg.

When pooling shell eggs for a recipe, use a process that meets the Food Code's applicable cooking or time-control requirements. Do not prepare a large container of raw egg and leave it at room temperature during a long brunch period. Use refrigerated pasteurized liquid egg or a smaller batch kept cold. Label opened pasteurized products as required and follow manufacturer's use-by instructions; pasteurization does not permit unlimited storage after opening.

How to answer a guest question If a guest asks whether a sauce contains raw egg, the server should check the recipe and ingredient label with the manager rather than guess. Identify whether pasteurized egg is used and how the sauce is held. For guests at higher risk of severe illness, recommend a fully cooked alternative or use pasteurized product according to the restaurant's approved recipe. Avoid promising zero risk or making medical claims.