So here we go, ringing in the new year with an entirely new website layout, an entirely new theme, and an entirely new … wait, I’m still the same! It might take a bit of time for things to smooth out, but worry not, the old comics I have drawn are not gone and lost forever. They will be going up in a gallery soon.

So one of my friends on Facebook recently experienced the not so joyous experience of food poisoning at its best. Eggs past their prime. Well, just so I’m not misquoting her: “WORD OF WARNING: please read expiration dates! Especially on eggs. Apparently the eggs I used to make my omelette yesterday expired before Christmas. Me and the toliet had a very intimate morning and I got nothing done.”

So let me put on my glasses and start my food nerdisms.

Eggs, like other dairy products- Now wait just one minute, eggs are considered a dairy product? Color me surprised when I read this fact. I was aware that eggs counted as a protein. (I worked for about a year and a half as a Kitchen Coordinator at a daycare. I was in charge of creating a meal plan that followed Georgia’s Bright From the Start Food Pyramid.) But I digress. Dairy products usually have a sell by date and not a use by date or best before date. Which means you may safely use eggs even after the sell by date has lapsed.

Typically, your senses are the most reliable way to test if eggs are good or bad. Some signs of bad eggs are a pinkish hue in the yolk or a rotten smell.

• Fresh Eggs (un-cracked) Usually last 3-5 weeks (in the fridge)
• Egg Substitutes 3 days (in the fridge)
• Egg Whites 2-4 days (in the fridge)

Some people are very paranoid when there’s the possibility of salmonella or e-coli strains of bacteria are involved. While the float test isn’t 100% accurate, I’ve heard many people use it. So if you’re in doubt, give it a try.

Fill a clear cup or bowl with ice water.

• A good egg will sink to the bottom and stay there.
• If the egg floats or hovers above the bottom, then it is probably unsafe to eat.

The Incredible Egg Float Test

Worst comes to worse, you can just toss the eggs. Better safe than sorry.

Which comes to a very important piece of information. What’s the difference between all the terms they stamp on food? How am I supposed to know and test these things? It’s very important to know your terms and what to look for. My current source of information is a useful little website called Eat by Date.

• Shelf Life (n) - a shelf life is the period during which a stored commodity remains effective, useful, or suitable for consumption
• Best Before Date (n) - according to manufacturers, this is the last date a product’s flavor or quality is best before
• Eat By Date (n) - despite the sell, use, or best before date, the last date a particular food item should be enjoyed
• Sell By Date (n) - the last date a store is supposed to display a food product for sale; experiation date for food
• Use By Date (n) - the last date manufacturers will vouch for a product’s quality

NEXT TIME: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Just kidding. But seriously, next we’ll do something fun with chicken.