Are Eggs Still Safe After the Expiration Date?
Question: I have some eggs in the refrigerator that I’d like to use, but the date on the carton was a week ago. Are they still safe to eat?
Answer: Yes, your eggs should be fine, provided you’ve been storing them properly.
As the American Egg Board notes, the dates you see on egg cartons are not food safety dates. They are most commonly used as a guide for stores to know how long they can sell the eggs.
Raw eggs will maintain their best quality for about 3 weeks after the "sell by", "use by", "best by", or "expiration" date on the carton, assuming continuous refrigeration.
Most cartons must also have a so-called Julian date stamped on the side, which indicates the date the eggs were packed. They will still be perfectly safe to use for at least 4 to 5 weeks after that date, as long as they’ve been stored in the fridge continually.
If you want to store your eggs for longer than five weeks, your best bet is to freeze them, following the instructions outlined here.
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