Egg Handling Rules in Hospitality

Eggs should be received clean and uncracked, stored cold and away from raw meat, cracked into a separate bowl to check for shell and spoilage, and cooked thoroughly for high-risk customers. Eggs are a nutritious, versatile ingredient, but they can carry Salmonella — most often on the shell — and are responsible for a significant share of foodborne illness outbreaks in Australia, frequently linked to raw or lightly cooked egg dishes made in commercial kitchens. Sound handling and storage keep the risk low. This guide covers safe egg handling in hospitality: receival and storage, cracking practice, raw and lightly cooked egg products, and how to protect vulnerable customers. Why Are Eggs a Food Safety Risk? Salmonella can be present on the outside of the shell and, less commonly, inside the egg. When shells are cracked carelessly, or raw egg is used in dishes that are never cooked, those bacteria can end up in the food. Australian egg primary production and processing requirements mean eggs sold for retail are cleaned and individually stamped for traceability, but that protection ends at your back door — kitchen practice determines whether the eggs stay safe. Eggs are also a potentially hazardous food once cracked and pooled, so they sit squarely within the temperature-control requirements of Standard 3.2.2. The combination of a common pathogen, widespread use in raw and lightly cooked dishes, and frequent bulk handling is exactly what makes eggs a recurring source of outbreaks, and why disciplined handling matters even in venues that consider themselves low risk. Receival and Storage Handle eggs correctly from delivery onwards: Inspect cartons on receival and reject any with cracked, dirty or leaking eggs. Store cold — at or below 5°C is best practice in a busy kitchen, keeping eggs out of the temperature danger zone. Store away from raw meat and strong odours , because shells are porous and can pick up contamination. Apply FIFO and never use eggs past their best-before date. Safe Cracking Practice Crack eggs into a separate small bowl rather than straight into the dish or mix. This lets you catch shell fragments and spot an off egg before it contaminates a whole batch. Never let raw egg or shell touch ready-to-eat food, and wash your hands after cracking and before handling other ingredients. Discard cracked or pooled egg that has been left out of refrigeration. Raw and Lightly Cooked Egg Products Homemade mayonnaise, aioli, hollandaise, mousse, tiramisu and similar dishes use raw or lightly cooked egg and are higher risk because there is no cook step to destroy Salmonella. Controls to consider: Use pasteurised egg product where practical, especially for dishes held for service. Make small batches, keep them cold, and use them within a short, defined window. Add acid (such as lemon juice or vinegar) where the recipe allows, and refrigerate promptly. Document your process so you can demonstrate control. State and territory guidance on raw egg products varies, and some jurisdictions or council permits require pasteurised egg for certain uses. Confirm your local requirements — see our state food safety guides and check with your council via the council directory . Cooking Eggs for High-Risk Customers For vulnerable customers — including those in aged care, hospitals, childcare and pregnant patrons — cook eggs until both the yolk and white are firm. These groups are more susceptible to serious illness from Salmonella, so raw or runny egg dishes should generally be avoided in high-risk settings. Guidance from the NSW Food Authority reinforces stricter egg handling for these vulnerable populations. Using Pasteurised Egg Products Pasteurised egg — available as liquid whole egg, whites, or yolks — has been heat-treated to destroy Salmonella while remaining usable in recipes. It is the safest choice for dishes that involve raw or lightly cooked egg, and for high-volume operations where cracking hundreds of shell eggs adds both labour and contamination risk. Consider pasteurised egg for mayonnaise, aioli, desserts, and any product that will be held for service rather than eaten immediately. Store opened pasteurised egg cold, treat it as a potentially hazardous food, and use it within the manufacturer's stated window. Egg Allergen Considerations Egg is one of the allergens that must be declared under Plain English Allergen Labelling. It hides in many products beyond obvious egg dishes — mayonnaise, glazes, some pastas and noodles, batters, custards, and certain sauces. When you decant or prepare egg-containing items, label them with the allergen so front-of-house can answer confidently. If a guest declares an egg allergy, check the full recipe rather than assuming, because egg is easy to overlook in compound ingredients. Cleaning Up After Handling Eggs Raw egg and shell can leave Salmonella on hands, utensils and surfaces. After cracking or preparing eggs, wash and sanitise the bench, bowls and utensils before they touch other food, and wash your hands before moving to the next task. Discard any pooled egg left at room temperature, and clean up spills promptly. Treat a carton of dirty or cracked eggs as a contamination source and remove it from the prep area. Batch Cracking for High-Volume Kitchens Kitchens that crack eggs in bulk for omelettes, baking or scrambled service face a particular risk: a single spoiled or contaminated egg can taint an entire container, and pooled raw egg held in the danger zone lets any bacteria multiply. Manage this by cracking each egg into a small intermediate bowl first, inspecting it, and only then adding it to the pooled container — one bad egg then spoils a single portion rather than a whole batch. Keep pooled egg refrigerated until the moment of use, make batches no larger than you will use quickly, and never top up an existing container of pooled egg with fresh egg, which extends the age of the whole mixture. If you crack egg for later use, label the container w