Are refrigerated hard boild eggs really unsafe after a week?
Most sites that I've googled (such as http://www.ochef.com/1009.htm, and http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/eggs2.htm) say that refrigerated hard-boiled eggs need to be eaten within one week.
I'm a little skeptical, and I know that many are very conservative where eggs are involved.
Can anyone point to an authoritative source that explains why, say 10-day old, refrigerated hard-boiled eggs would be unsafe?
Best Answer
Yes, they really are unsafe after a week.
According to the USDA (similar information can be found from other food agencies):
Why do hard-cooked eggs spoil faster than fresh eggs?
When shell eggs are hard cooked, the protective coating is washed away, leaving bare the pores in the shell for bacteria to enter and contaminate it. Hard-cooked eggs should be refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking and used within a week.
Simply put, you're damaging the shell, and that expedites spoilage. Some secondary sources such as StillTasy (who use the agencies as their primary sources) are more liberal and say up to 2 weeks, but I'd at least give it a very thorough sniff test before eating hard-boiled eggs that old. (And note that the sniff test will not necessarily alert you to bacterial contamination, only the more conventional forms of food spoilage like rancidity).
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Quick Answer about "Are refrigerated hard boild eggs really unsafe after a week?"
Hard-boiled eggsAre hard-boiled eggs good after 7 days?
The shell will help to protect the egg from bacteria, and can help prevent them from absorbing odors from other foods in your refrigerator. A quick beginner's tip is that hard-boiled eggs can be preserved up to 7 days in the refrigerator.What happens to hard-boiled eggs after 1 week?
Hard-boiled eggs, peeled or unpeeled, are still safe to eat up to one week after they were cooked. Keep them stored in the refrigerator, and you should consider writing the boiling date on each egg to know if they're still good!What happens if you eat old hard-boiled eggs?
The main risk of eating bad eggs is Salmonella infection, which can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and fever.How Long Do Eggs Last Before Going Bad?
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