FOOD NEWS
The Unsavory Details About Your Hotel Buffet's Scrambled Eggs
By Allie Ward
While the free breakfast buffet is a perk many travelers look forward to at a hotel, you should reconsider eating the scrambled eggs or, better yet, avoid them altogether.
Hotels often rely on powdered eggs or mass-produced liquid egg products to prepare large batches. They lack the flavor of fresh eggs and often contain additives and preservatives.
These scrambled eggs are almost always prepared in advance — sometimes in the microwave — and reheated multiple times throughout the service, which is why they’re often rubbery.
Hotel buffet scrambled eggs may be unsafe to eat. Since eggs are perishable, they require proper temperature control to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria like Salmonella.
According to the FDA, eggs and egg dishes should never be left out of the refrigerator for more than two hours and should be reheated to 165 degrees Fahrenheit for serving.
Undercooked eggs can contain harmful pathogens that cause foodborne illness. At a buffet, there’s no way to tell how long they’ve sat out or whether they’ve been properly cooked.