Why is it not a good idea to reuse cardboard egg cups?

It seems like a good idea at first glance: take your old egg cartons to the supermarket or market and reuse them to buy fresh loose eggs. Or use these containers for crafts. However, contact with these boxes can pose some health risks.

Why should egg cartons be thrown away?

The reason to throw away egg cartons is that they are only lightly cleaned before packing. Therefore, the boxes can become contaminated with pathogenic germs that may be attached to the eggs.

Salmonella is particularly dangerous, as these bacteria they can cause dangerous gastrointestinal infections with diarrhea and vomiting. They can also become contaminated with campylobacter.

food packaging They should only be reused if they are easy to clean and, if necessary, easy to disinfect.

Egg Cartons: Salmonella Risk

Salmonella is especially dangerous for babies, young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.

sudden diarrhea, headache and stomach ache, general malaise and occasionally vomiting are common symptoms of salmonellosis. A mild fever is also common.

The symptoms often last several days and then go away on their own. In rare cases, it can lead to serious disease progression, such as a life-threatening blood infection.

How to protect yourself from salmonella

There is a simple way to protect yourself: high temperatures kill salmonella. Reliable removal of salmonella is achieved through temperatures above 70ºC for at least ten minutes.

But does that also apply to egg cartons? In theory, germs on egg cartons can be killed placing them in the oven between 80 and 100 ºC for ten minutes.

Yet still It has not been scientifically proven whether this method works effectively. Egg cartons are not intended to be heated in the oven or microwave.

Egg cartons are made of paper or cardboard and are therefore they are highly flammable. They can catch fire or melt.

Washing eggs right after buying them is also not a good idea. Washing damages the natural protective layer of the egg. Hairline cracks make it easy for germs to get in and multiply there.

Bottom Line: Throw Out Egg Cartons or Replace Them

If you want to be sure about salmonella, you should throw away egg cartons and not reuse them, especially if there are babies or elderly people in the home that require attention.

If you often buy loose eggs, a good alternative to cardboard boxes are plastic egg cups that you can clean with hot water and, therefore, reuse them as many times as you want.

Dispose of egg cartons correctly

How do you dispose of cardboard egg cups? Do we have to throw them in the blue bin? Yeah.

The only exception are the really dirty egg cartons or when one or more eggs have broken and a crust has formed on the carton; in this case, the cartons are exceptionally discarded in the reject container.

Egg processing, what you should consider

We remind you what You must take into account when handling the eggs:

Store raw eggs in the refrigerator at a maximum of 7 °C to reduce the proliferation of salmonella. Observe the expiration information.If possible, do not use eggs with very dirty or defective shells.Do not use raw eggs when preparing dishes that are eaten without heating (such as desserts, baked goods with fillings and toppings that have not been fully heated, mayonnaise, etc.) People whose defenses against foodborne infections are impaired or not yet fully developed (especially young children, the sick and the elderly) should eat eggs only after they are fully heated, that is, when the white and the yolk are curdled.Eat the egg dishes immediately or store them in the fridge.Eggshells or raw eggs should not come into contact with other foodsImmediately wipe up any spilled egg whites or yolks on work surfaces in the kitchen.Thoroughly clean cookware that has been in contact with raw eggs. Use hot water and liquid detergent or the dishwasher After handling raw eggs, wash your hands well with soap and warm water and dry them wellno.