How are eggs pasteurized in the shell? Are they safe?
Pasteurizing procedure – The eggs are heated in the shell in a water tank at about 136 degrees F. It takes about 30 minutes for the center of the egg to get to 135 degrees F, and then they are held at room temperature for 30 minutes. They are then removed from the water bath and cooled in a refrigerator. This process results in a 5-log reduction in Salmonella, that is, it reduces the bacterial load from 100,000 to 1. Supposedly one cannot tell that the egg has been heated. Cloudiness of the egg material can result due to the egg being heated and is not an indication of poor quality.
