Bits of egg carton stuck to shell

If you buy your eggs in cartons made from paper pulp, you may sometimes notice that little tufts of pulp stick to the shells. Most likely, that’s simply because a little moisture mixed with the paper pulp, explained Ken Anderson, a professor and poultry extension specialist emeritus at North Carolina State University.

In the U.S. eggs are washed and then air dried before placing them in cartons. If the eggs were still a tiny bit wet going into the carton, that could cause the pulp bits to stick to the egg. Anderson said brief forays into warmer, humid environments could also create perfect conditions for moisture to condense on the cold eggs, causing those little tufts to form. That includes if the eggs spend time on a warm loading dock when they’re moving from the cooler to the transport truck, or if a consumer leaves them sitting on the counter. 

While extra moisture on an eggshell isn’t ideal for us, microorganisms love it. That said, brief periods of time with small amounts of moisture probably won’t impact the quality of your egg. Anderson said stints at warmer temperatures could theoretically impact shelf life. But he said most people would probably consume the eggs before any shelf-life-shortening consequences might occur. 

“As long as the eggs are returned to the refrigerator and not left out for extended periods, they should be OK,” he said.

What if the egg is stuck in the carton?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture advises gently removing any eggs stuck in the carton. But the agency also says that if you notice that any of the egg has leaked out (perhaps causing the stickiness), then discard the egg. I recently encountered an egg that was stuck in the carton and that cracked open as I tried to remove it (I promise I was gentle!). It’s possible that I had pressed on a hairline crack that had already leaked some of the egg’s contents. 

You may want to check out other articles about cracked eggs and those with fecal matter on them.