Eggs Expired: Still Eat or Throw Away?

There are a few handy ways to find out if the eggs in your fridge are expired or still edible. We have summarized for you here what these are and what else you should pay attention to with “old” eggs.

How you can tell if eggs are still edible even though they have expired

The legal best before date (MHD) for eggs in Germany is 28 days. As with so many other foods, exceeding the best-before date does not mean that the eggs have already spoiled. If you’re not sure if you can still eat the eggs, try one of the following methods:

• Put the egg in a glass of water and wait. If the egg sinks to the bottom, then it’s still good. However, if it floats to the surface, then it is no longer edible and should be discarded.
• Another possibility is the shake test. As you do this, shake the egg and listen to hear anything. A sloshing sound indicates that the egg white has already become liquid. Then the egg is actually spoiled and should no longer be eaten.
• Another trick: Hold the egg in the sun or in front of another light source. If the egg isn’t spoiled, you should be able to see the yolk through the shell.
• You should also be able to identify expired eggs by their smell, since rotten eggs smell very bad.

Make eggs last longer by storing them correctly – Here’s how

When it comes to the shelf life of eggs, the best-before date is less important than correct storage.

• Protected from heat and light, eggs can also be stored without refrigeration for up to 20 days. If you store the eggs outside of the refrigerator, then ideally in the egg carton.
• If the eggs are kept refrigerated throughout, you can usually eat them two to four weeks after the best-before date has expired.
• Important: Different rules apply when preparing dishes with raw eggs. For foods like mayonnaise, the eggs should be as fresh as possible, but no more than 18 days old.