They come in handy, single-serving packages. They can be prepared easily in a variety of attractive and familiar ways. Because most egg recipes involve short cooking times, eggs are convenient for people with little time to prepare meals. And because eggs keep well in the refrigerator for about three weeks, a single person can easily use up the dozen eggs in a carton before they spoil. Finally, eggs have several important physical and chemical properties that help make recipes work.
Eggs are a significant source of dietary cholesterol.
They are, in fact, the single largest source of cholesterol among the foods commonly eaten in the U.S. diet. Elevated levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream are associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. People with elevated blood cholesterol levels are advised to reduce them by modifying their diets and, if they are overweight, by losing weight. The cholesterol content of eggs is relatively high in comparison with other foods of animal origin, such as chicken, beef, and milk. A small proportion of the intact raw eggs on the market are contaminated with the bacterium Salmonella enteritidis , which can cause human illness.