Can Restaurants Use Cracked Eggs Australia

No, a restaurant should not use cracked or dirty eggs. When people ask whether restaurants can use cracked eggs in Australia, the safe answer is clear: a cracked shell or visible dirt provides a direct route for Salmonella and other bacteria to reach the egg contents, so these eggs should be rejected rather than used. Intact, clean eggs are a basic food safety requirement, and cracked or soiled eggs should be discarded, especially for any dish where the egg is raw or lightly cooked. This article explains why cracked and dirty eggs are dangerous, the delivery checks that keep them out of your kitchen, and the safer alternatives available to Australian food businesses. Why can't restaurants use cracked or dirty eggs? An eggshell is a natural barrier. As long as it is intact and clean, it helps keep bacteria on the outside away from the egg contents inside. A crack breaks that barrier, allowing Salmonella that may be present on the shell to move into the egg. Dirt, faecal matter or other soiling on the shell increases the bacterial load sitting on that surface, which is a problem the moment the egg is cracked open near your food or handled by staff who then touch other ingredients. The risk is greatest for raw and lightly cooked egg dishes, such as house-made mayonnaise, aioli, hollandaise, mousses, soft poached and fried eggs, and desserts like tiramisu. In these dishes there is no thorough cooking step to destroy bacteria, so starting with a compromised egg means starting with unnecessary risk. Australia's national egg guidance is unambiguous that only clean, intact eggs should be used, and this principle is reflected in the national raw egg guidelines . What does the guidance say? Under Standard 3.2.2, food businesses must take all practicable measures to process only safe, suitable food. For eggs, that means rejecting cracked and dirty eggs and handling eggs hygienically. The national raw egg guidelines advise that businesses should not use cracked or dirty eggs, particularly in raw egg products, and should store eggs under refrigeration to keep them out of the temperature danger zone. Your local council and Environmental Health Officer enforce these expectations during inspections. How should you check eggs at delivery? The best place to stop cracked and dirty eggs is at the point of delivery, before they ever reach your storeroom. Build a quick egg check into your receiving routine. Inspect the carton and individual eggs: open cartons and look for cracks, leaks, dirt or faecal staining. Reject any carton with broken or soiled eggs. Check temperature and storage: confirm eggs have been transported and can be stored under refrigeration at or below 5°C. Verify the best-before date: reject eggs at or past their best-before date, and never use them for raw preparations. Confirm supplier details: eggs should be from an approved supplier and carry the required identification, which supports traceability if there is ever a recall. Record the check: note the outcome so you can show incoming eggs were inspected. The table below summarises what to accept and what to reject. Check Accept Reject Shell condition Clean and intact Cracked, chipped or leaking Cleanliness Free of dirt and staining Dirty or faecal-stained Temperature Refrigerated, at or below 5°C Warm or poorly stored Date Within best-before At or past best-before Turning this into a repeatable digital step with a receiving checklist means every delivery gets the same scrutiny, and you have a record to show for it. Linking it to your temperature records proves the cold chain held on arrival. What if eggs crack during storage or handling? Sometimes eggs crack after they have been accepted, whether in storage or during a busy prep session. A good rule is that an egg which cracks in your kitchen should be treated the same as a cracked egg at delivery: do not use it for raw or lightly cooked dishes. If an egg is cracked but immediately going into a dish that will be thoroughly cooked, the risk is lower, but the safest habit is to discard cracked and dirty eggs and keep clean intact eggs for your menu. Never store cracked eggs out of the shell at room temperature. What are the safer alternatives? If your menu relies on raw or lightly cooked egg, pasteurised egg products are the clearest way to reduce risk. Pasteurised whole egg, yolk and liquid egg have been treated to reduce Salmonella, so they remove much of the hazard that makes cracked and dirty shell eggs so concerning. Commercially manufactured, acidified mayonnaise is another safe option for sauces. Using these alternatives, and reserving clean intact shell eggs for dishes that are thoroughly cooked, is a sensible risk-based approach for most venues. For more detail, see the FSANZ website . How should staff store and handle eggs in the kitchen? Good egg safety does not stop at the delivery check. Once accepted, eggs need the right storage and day-to-day handling so that clean, intact eggs stay that way until they are used. Poor storage is a common way that perfectly sound eggs end up cracked, warm or contaminated before they ever reach a pan. Refrigerate promptly: move eggs into refrigeration at or below 5°C soon after delivery, and keep them there rather than on a warm shelf near the stove or pass. Store away from contaminants: keep eggs in their carton and away from raw meat drips and strong-smelling foods, because shells are porous. Handle gently and rotate: stack cartons carefully to avoid cracking, and use older stock first on a first-in, first-out basis so eggs are used within their best-before date. Separate egg tasks: crack eggs away from ready-to-eat food, then wash and sanitise hands and equipment afterwards so any Salmonella from the shell is not spread around the kitchen. Do not pool eggs early: avoid cracking many eggs into a container hours ahead and leaving it out, because pooled raw egg left in the 5°C to 60°C danger zone is a classic high-risk shortcut. Training the whole team to follow the same routine is what makes this stick. A new casual who does not know that cracked eggs go in the bin, or that a container of leftover egg mix cannot sit out all shift, can undo careful buying in a moment. A short induction, a visible reminder at the egg station and a simple staff training record help every cook apply the same standard. When an Environmental Health Officer asks how you manage eggs, being able to point to consistent storage, hygienic handling and a trained team is far more convincing than a one-off assurance, and it protects the vulnerable customers most at risk from Salmonella. Frequently asked questions Can you use cracked eggs if you cook them thoroughly? The safest practice is to discard cracked and dirty eggs. Thorough cooking reduces risk, but cracked eggs should never be used for raw or lightly cooked dishes, and they should not be stored out of the shell at room temperature. Keeping clean, intact eggs for your menu avoids the risk entirely. Why are dirty eggs a food safety risk? Dirt and faecal staining on a shell increase the bacterial load, including possible Salmonella, on the surface of the egg. That contamination can transfer to food, hands and equipment when the egg is handled or cracked, so dirty eggs should be rejected. What temperature should eggs be stored at? Eggs should be stored under refrigeration at or below 5°C to keep them out of the temperature danger zone of 5°C to 60°C. Refrigeration slows the growth of any bacteria present and is especially important for eggs used in raw or lightly cooked dishes. Should you wash eggs before using them? Washing eggs is generally not recommended in a food business, because it can damage the protective cuticle and force bacteria through the shell. Instead, buy clean eggs from an approved supplier and reject any that are dirty or cracked on delivery. Can you crack eggs in advance and store them for later? Cracking many eggs into a container hours ahead and leaving it in the danger zone is high risk. If you must pool eggs, do it in small amounts, keep them refrigerated at or below 5°C, use them quickly, and never leave pooled raw egg sitting out during service. Stopping cracked and dirty eggs at the door is a small check with a big payoff. FoodSafety HQ builds egg and produce inspection into a digital receiving checklist , so every delivery is checked the same way and every rejection is recorded. See how it tightens your back-door routine and start a free trial from our pricing page .