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Food safety

Can You Eat Eggs After the Expiry Date in India?

Usually yes. A date on an egg is about quality, not safety — and most loose eggs in India carry no date at all.

6 min read · 11 August 2026

In one line: an egg does not turn into poison at midnight on its best-before date. What actually happens is slower and less dramatic — the egg gets older, the white gets thinner, and if germs were already inside, they get more time to grow.

So the honest answer is: check the egg, don’t check the calendar.

इस लेख का हिंदी संस्करण भी है — क्या एक्सपायरी डेट के बाद अंडा खा सकते हैं?

Usually yes — a date is about quality, not safety. An egg does not turn poisonous at midnight on its best-before date, but it does get older, and older eggs carry more risk if germs were already inside. Most loose eggs in India carry no date at all. Best before means quality, use by means safety, and eggs normally get the first one. Your nose and a bowl of water tell you more than any printed date.
Not sure? Crack it into a separate bowl first. One bad egg should not spoil the whole dish.

What to do with an egg you are unsure about

Four quick checks that take under a minute. One: is the shell cracked, slimy or badly dirty? If yes, throw it away and do not wash it and use it. Two: put it in a glass of water — does it float to the top? If yes it is old, not automatically unsafe, but crack and smell it first. Three: crack it into a bowl — does it smell bad, or look pink or shiny? If yes, throw it away, that is real spoilage. Four: are you cooking it for a small child, an older person, or someone pregnant or unwell? If yes, cook it hard with yolk and white both firm, no runny yolk.
These checks find rotten eggs. They cannot find germs like salmonella, which is why cooking properly still matters.

The whole thing takes under a minute. If you are cooking for several people, crack each doubtful egg into a separate small bowl first. One bad egg should not ruin a whole dish.

Best before, use by, expiry — these are three different things

Best before is about quality — taste and texture — and after the date the food is usually still safe to eat; it is used for eggs, biscuits, rice and dal, and if it passes you check it and then decide. Use by or expiry is about safety; after the date do not eat it; it is used for milk, meat, fish and cut fruit, and if it passes you throw it away.
Eggs normally get a best-before date, not an expiry date. In Europe, that date is set at no more than 28 days after laying.

This confuses almost everyone, and food companies do not make it easier.

  • Best before = quality. After this date the food may not taste its best, but it is usually still safe.
  • Use by / Expiry = safety. After this date, throw it out.

Eggs normally get a best-before date, not an expiry date. In Europe, an egg’s best-before date is fixed at no more than 28 days after it was laid.

What about India?

Most eggs sold loose in India — from a kirana, a cart, a mandi — carry no date at all. Only branded eggs in cartons usually do.

The float test — and what it really tells you

Put the egg in a glass of water. As an egg gets older, air seeps in through the shell and it becomes lighter. An egg that lies flat is very fresh, only a few days old. One that tilts up is a week or two old and perfectly good. One that stands up is getting old — use it soon and cook it well. One that floats is old: crack it into a bowl and smell before deciding.
Important: floating means OLD, not poisonous. And an egg that sinks can still carry germs. This is an age test, not a safety test.

Drop the egg into a glass of water. The shell has thousands of tiny holes. As an egg ages, moisture leaves and air seeps in, so it slowly gets lighter and starts to lift.

But read this carefully, because almost every article gets it wrong:

The one thing nearly everybody gets wrong

A dangerous egg looks completely normal. Salmonella, the germ that actually makes people ill, has no smell, no colour and no taste — you cannot see it, sniff it out, or float-test it away. Your nose finds rotten eggs but does not find germs. A fresh-looking egg that sinks can still make you sick. The only reliable protection is heat: cook until the yolk and white are firm. Runny yolks are a bigger gamble for small children, older people, pregnant women and anyone unwell.
This is not a reason to fear eggs. It is a reason to cook them properly and store them cool.

This is worth reading twice. Salmonella — the germ that actually makes people ill — cannot be seen, smelled or tasted.

Your nose is very good at finding a rotten egg. It is useless at finding germs. That is why the last step in the check is always cook it properly, not sniff it and hope. Cooking until the yolk and white are both firm is what actually protects you.

So how long does an egg really last?

How long an egg actually lasts, counted in days after the egg was laid, using FSSAI's figures for eggs stored in their carton: in the fridge in its carton, 28 to 35 days; at room temperature of about 28°C, 10 to 12 days; in an Indian summer of 40°C or more, about a week — marked on the chart as an estimate, not measured.
FSSAI's room-temperature figure assumes about 28°C. The 40°C+ bar is a reasoned estimate — there is no published data for eggs at that temperature, and the chart says so.

India’s food regulator, FSSAI, gives these figures for eggs kept in their carton:

  • Room temperature (about 28°C): 10 to 12 days from the day the egg was laid
  • Refrigerated: 4 to 5 weeks from the day it was laid

Two things worth knowing about those numbers.

First, the clock starts when the egg was laid — not when you bought it. A large share of eggs eaten in north India are produced 1,500–2,000 km away in the south and travel by road without refrigeration. The journey may already have used up a good part of that window before the egg reaches your shop — and with no date printed on it, you cannot tell.

Second, “room temperature” means about 28°C. A Delhi or Nagpur afternoon in May is not 28°C.

Quick answers

Is it safe to eat an egg one week past its best-before date?

Usually yes, if it has been kept cool, passes the smell check, and you cook it well. Best-before is a quality date, not a safety date.

Do eggs in India have an expiry date?

Loose eggs usually have no date at all. Branded cartons often carry a pack date. There is no central rule requiring it.

Does a floating egg mean it is rotten?

No. It means the egg is old. Crack it into a bowl and smell it — that is what decides.

Can I get sick from an egg that smells fine?

Yes. Germs have no smell. Cooking eggs until firm is the real protection.

Is a runny yolk safe?

For most healthy adults, a fresh, well-stored egg cooked runny is a low risk — not zero. For small children, older people, pregnant women and anyone unwell, cook eggs until both yolk and white are firm.

What about a green ring around a boiled yolk?

That is from overcooking, not spoilage. It is safe to eat.

Should I wash eggs before storing them?

No. Washing removes the natural coating on the shell and can pull germs inside. Wipe a dirty egg with a dry cloth instead.