No one can argue the fact that eggs are one of the best sources of protein. You can easily find them at health food stores, supermarkets, and even gas stations. What you should keep in mind is that eggs come with an expiration date; in fact, every egg carton comes with a use-by date. You should only consume good eggs to avoid dealing with a food-borne illness.

What Happens If You Eat a Bad Egg?

You put yourself at risk when you eat a bad egg. You may end up dealing with food poisoning or develop other complications. Salmonella risk is always there because bad eggs may be contaminated with salmonella bacteria. You can also develop this type of food poisoning when you eat eggs without cooking them properly. Studies show that older eggs are more likely to contain salmonella bacteria. It is therefore of immense importance to throw out expired eggs.

Other Health Risks

In addition to salmonella, you may also have to deal with other health complications. How bad eggs affect you usually depends on what kinds of bacteria grow in those eggs. For instance, if you notice an egg having a bluish-green color with a sour, fruity odor, this could be because it is contaminated with bacteria called pseudomonas. Similarly, mold can also grow on eggs when stored in humid areas – the same may happen when you use dirty water to wash eggs. Ideally, you should avoid consuming eggs that have changed color, odor, or appearance.

Signs That You Have Eaten Bad Eggs

Sometimes you eat bad eggs unknowingly and end up developing certain issues. It is therefore important to know what happens if you eat a bad egg. For starters, you should know the signs or symptoms you experience when you eat bad eggs. You may experience a headache with nausea, and other problems may also arise depending on what has contaminated the eggs. For instance:

• You may experience diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting, and fever when you eat bad eggs contaminated with salmonella. The symptoms may last for 2-7 days.
• You may experience nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting if you eat eggs contaminated with staphylococcus aureus. The symptoms may last for 1-2 days. These symptoms develop within 8 hours of eating the egg.

What's more, bloody diarrhea, body aches, chills, vision problems, speaking difficulties, and paralysis are some other potential signs of food poisoning caused by a bad egg.

What to Do

Knowing what happens if you eat a bad egg helps decide if you need medical attention or not. It is usually better to talk to your doctor if your symptoms are severe. Most people usually feel better by keeping them hydrated. You should sip water to replace lost electrolytes and fluids through diarrhea or vomiting. It may also help to take OTC medication to treat diarrhea or your upset stomach.

To avoid dealing with all the hassle, you should practice some care when buying eggs. Be sure to buy good eggs and pay attention to their expiration date. Buy them from refrigerated dairy case and refrigerate them as soon as you reach home. Never buy or consume eggs with cracked shells.

How to Tell If Eggs Are Good or Bad

It is important to know what happens if you eat a bad egg; however, you should also know how to differentiate between a good and a bad egg. Here are a few suggestions.

1. The Float Test

• Take a bowl and fill it up with cold water.
• Put your eggs in the bowl.
• Your eggs are fresh if they sink to the bottom. They are no longer usable if they float to the surface.

It happens because the eggshells are porous and let some air pass through, but fresh eggs sink because they have less air in them.

2. Quality of the Yolk and White

The integrity of the egg goes down with time, and you can tell a lot about its quality by checking the quality of the yolk and white. An egg is usually past its peak freshness if it seems a little watery or spreads. Here is what you should check:

• Know the egg is old if it breaks easily and the yolk is flat.
• The egg is aging in case the yolk moves around easily.
• The egg is older if the egg white is not cloudy and is clear white.

3. Check the Smell

Break the egg open and check its smell. If it has a pungent, foul odor, it is more likely a bad egg. The smell usually persists even when the egg is cooked.

4. Inspect the Color

Break the egg open and check its color. It is possible to notice the shade of orange or yellow when you check the yolk and this usually depends on the diet of the hen. Your focus should be on the color of the egg white. The egg is bad if the color of the egg white is green, pink, or iridescent. The egg has fungus if you see green or black spots inside the egg.

• Check the yolk of a hard-cooked egg. You may notice a green ring around it, but this does not indicate that the egg is bad. It usually means it was cooked in water rich in iron, but it is still safe to eat.
• It is safe to eat an egg that has a meat or blood spot on it. It does not mean the egg is contaminated.