I was not aware of eggs’ egg-straordinary resistance to decay:
Everyone knows that food left out for long enough will go mouldy. But according to Sir Tim Hunt, of Cancer Research UK, egg white will dry out first — and this resistance to rotting is why you do not have to put eggs in the fridge.
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The reason the egg white doesn’t rot is the existence of at least three antimicrobials in it, says Sir Tim. Lysozyme will dissolve the outer coat of most bacteria, making it a potent antibiotic.It was studies of lysozyme that gave Fleming and then Florey (who came up with penicillin) the idea of looking for antibiotics, he added.
Ovotransferrin in the egg white absorbs the iron that helps microbes exploit air and avidin absorbs biotin, an essential nutrient.
“Which is why eating too many raw eggs is not advisable, said Sir Tim, explaining that when large amounts of raw egg whites were given to rats caused severe dermatitis, loss of hair, and lack of muscular coordination.
The proof of this potent anti microbial action comes in the heating of said egg-white. As the scotch egg demonstrated, once these antimicrobials have been destroyed by cooking, the egg white is at the mercy of local microorganisms.