Having never bought eggs in Europe, I was a little surprised to read recently (from an article last fall) that eggs are not stored in coolers in Europe, but right next to flower, sugar, and cake mixes, in that dreaded 68° grocery store heat.
In her article, "Why American Eggs Would Be Illegal In A British Supermarket, and Vice Versa," on Forbes.com, Nadia Arumugam outlines the differences between American and European eggs, listed below.
Why the difference?
Arumugam says there are two reasons, and thus two varying viewpoints. First: Bacteria. The USDA stipulates that cleaning eggs removes bacteria causing agents from the porous shell, while the EU believes that careless washing procedures actually do more harm than good.
Why the difference?
It seems strange and unsanitary that eggs would be left out at room temperature, but in reality, it's less black and white. The EU most likely considers the egg's cuticle protection enough from disease, and thus maintaining a cold temperature is relatively useless. Instead, the EU argues that if temperatures are not consistently maintained (back to the imagery of my racing pallets of eggs around my hometown grocery store) condensation can form on the outside of the egg, which facilitates the growth of bacteria on the shell. The USDA, however, limits the spread of salmonella and like diseases with refrigeration, rather than a reliance on the cuticle and hen vaccination.
For the complete article, go to http://www.forbes.com/sites/nadiaarumugam/2012/10/25/why-american-eggs-would-be-illegal-in-a-british-supermarket-and-vice-versa/3/.