A dietitian has issued a warning against a new viral trend circulating on TikTok of parents freezing raw eggs in their shells to make ‘mini eggs’ for their kids, which she claimed could lead to salmonella.
Australian mum Alexandra shared a TikTok video, which has since been viewed more than 12.4 million times, showing how she pan fried tiny sunny side-up eggs for her toddler daughter to enjoy after freezing them overnight.
However, US registered dietitian Sarah Krieger has warned parents to be vigilant when attempting the trend at home because it could lead to a bout of serious food poisoning if the eggs are not cooked thoroughly.
Mum Alexandra was the first to reveal how she created mini eggs after freezing them raw
‘There are certain categories of people who should not have undercooked eggs because of the risk of salmonella poisoning,’ Ms Krieger told Fox News.
She said those who are most at risk include young children, pregnant women, elderly people and patients with underlying health conditions.
To ensure the eggs are cooked all the way through, Ms Krieger suggested the best way is to ‘take a temperature check’.
‘Around 150 Fahrenheit degrees [66 degrees Celsius] for the yolk to be 100 per cent cooked and it’s a little bit less for the white. Most people eyeball it and you can see if it coagulates, if it’s that opaque white, if it’s opaque yellow, then it’s cooked.’
Last week, fitness queen Chontel Duncan was so impressed with the latest TikTok cooking method, she decided to recreate the mini fried eggs for her toddler
Her warning comes just a week after mum Alexandra shared a ‘clever’ trick in her now-viral TikTok video showing how she makes mini eggs her toddler enjoys eating.
‘How to make cool eggs for your kids in the mornings. All you do is grab an egg out of the fridge, pop it in the freezer. In the morning, you actually slice this up while it’s still frozen,’ she explained.
‘You then put them into a frypan and it makes really cool mini eggs. My toddler absolutely loves it and I know your kids will do too. Every parent needs to try this.’
Fitness queen Chontel Duncan, from Brisbane, was so impressed with the latest TikTok cooking method, she decided to recreate the mini fried eggs for her toddler.
The personal trainer and mum of three said her son ‘loved them’.
‘I tried these cute scrumptious eggs that I saw on TikTok,’ she said on Instagram.
‘It’s a really fun way to make eggs in the morning. First you freeze them, then under some warm water, peel them. While they’re still frozen, thinly slice them.’
After freezing the eggs overnight, she peeled the shell off under warm water before slicing them up and frying the ‘mini eggs’ for her kid
Over medium to high heat, she popped the round slices into a pan with olive oil.
‘Season them, finish it off and serve them fresh or store them for later.’
Her video has since been viewed more than 640,000 times, with many saying their minds are ‘blown’ after learning about the new egg hack.
‘This is awesome. I would have never thought to do this. So fantastic,’ one wrote, while another said: ‘I’m sorry but this just blew my mind.’
One added: ‘What! You just open a new door for me. This looks delicious and easy.’
But despite the positive comments, some were concerned and wondered whether freezing eggs was safe to eat after cooking.
According to Healthline, freezing raw eggs in the shells isn’t recommended by health professionals as it can tamper with the texture and lead to the growth of certain bacteria.
But if done so, the raw eggs should be cooked instantly at a high temperature of 70 degrees Celsius.