Tips

• 1
  Poor handling usually causes eggs to crack.David De Lossy/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  Look for cracks in the eggshell. Cracks in the eggshell are a hallmark sign that the egg will be bad. When an egg becomes exposed to the air, harmful bacteria and toxins can infiltrate the egg which can cause damage to your health. Cracks most often result from mishandling.
  
  
• 2). Look for any discoloration of the egg. The egg white should be white and the yolk should be yellow. If you see any reddish color from the yolk, be wary of eating it because this is blood. The blood could contain harmful pathogens. Also, if the egg white has a brownish color, you do not want to eat it as it could contain salmonella.
  
  
• 3). Place the egg in a bowl of water. If it sinks, then you will know that the egg is in all likelihood okay to eat. If the egg floats, however, you should immediately discard the egg. This occurs because as the egg loses freshness, more air, the enemy of food freshness, enters the egg and increases its buoyancy.
  
  
• 4). Look at the appearance of the yolk after cracking the egg over a plate. The shape of the yolk should be round and its appearance compact. The yolk will actually sit quite high up above the white part of the egg. If the yolk is flat and not firm, you will know that the egg is bad. For good eggs, the white part of the egg should be thick and stay close to the yolk. Anything otherwise should tip you off that the egg is bad.