Food authority rejects calls to enforce egg refrigeration in Australian stores

There is no food safety ­reason to require whole eggs to be refrigerated, Australia’s food authority says.

THE nation’s food authority has dismissed concerns stores selling unrefrigerated eggs are putting consumers at extra risk of salmonella food poisoning.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand acting chief Peter May said there was “no safety reason” to compel ­retailers to refrigerate whole, ­uncracked eggs.

“There is no food safety ­reason to require whole eggs to be refrigerated,” Mr May said.

“However ­retailers may choose to refrigerate eggs for their own reasons for example, to maintain quality of the egg such as firmness of the yolk or reduce spoilage.”

Consumers could also keep eggs refrigerated in their cardboard box to “enhance quality”.

The agency was responding to calls from some ­public health experts for ­supermarkets and other stores to chill eggs.