Are reddish egg whites safe to eat?

Are reddish egg whites safe to eat? - Photo of People Eating Breakfast

5 minutes ago I cracked an egg and was surprised with an orange, reddish egg white. It has the color of light fish sauce. The chalazae is red. I would assume that the reddish color comes from the blood. The egg smells fine, no sulfurous smell. Before cracking the egg, the shell was intact. Is this egg safe to eat?

I know the rule "in doubt, throw it out" but I'm interested if the egg is still edible.

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Best Answer

Intact and good-looking eggs are generally safe to eat -- any spoilage very quickly results in horrible smell. The thing you're seeing might actually be a very tiny remain of something related with embryo (there's a tiny red piece of embryo in all eggs, you just have to search a bit) or a colored piece of internal egg-white structure (I heard that grass- and mineral-rich food may cause coloring like that), just bigger for some reason.

Anyway, I'm regularly eating eggs like that since childhood and I'm still here. It's safe.

(PS. I never tried to drink anything like this uncooked, but there are many other reasons not to try that. :D)




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Can you eat red egg whites?

These eggs with blood spots are safe to eat. Diffusion of blood into the white: if the white of the egg (albumen) is actually pink or red, that's an indication that it is spoiled with the Pseudomonas bacteria and should NOT be eaten. These eggs are classified as a loss by the FDA.

What does it mean if your egg white is red?

The Bottom LineThey develop when tiny blood vessels in the hen's ovaries or oviduct rupture during the egg-laying process. Eggs with blood spots are safe to eat, but you can scrape the spot off and discard it if you prefer.

What if egg white is orange?

The discoloration often stems from the chicken's diet. If the chicken has been eating food with lots of riboflavin (like corn, carrots, and other deep yellow or orange colored foods), then the extra coloring might end up on the egg whites.

What does a pink egg white mean?

Egg whites that are cloudy indicate that the egg is very fresh, according to the Egg Safety Center. Clear egg whites indicate an egg is aging; pink or iridescent egg whites indicate spoilage, and these eggs should not be consumed.



Egg Yolk vs. Egg White: What's the Difference?




More answers regarding are reddish egg whites safe to eat?

Answer 2

They're meat spots, and safe (though unpleasant) to eat.

Answer 3

Pinkish egg whites are a sign of spoilage. You may not die from it, but it could make you mildly or severely ill depending on what is causing the spoilage (just age/deterioration, or how much bacteria is growing in it and what type of bacteria).

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