World’s First Egg Brush Makes The ‘Bird Butt Nuggets’ Egg-stra Safe To Eat

Image via GoodEgg

Eggs are easily some of the most delicious foods nature has to offer. On the simplest of days, you could have breakfast on the table with just one ingredient, rounding out its flavors only so subtly with a crack of salt and pepper. But did you know that if your eggs aren’t clean enough, you could be flavoring your meal with a third, unwanted type of seasoning instead? That addition is called ick.

Running huevos under water, especially pastured ones, isn’t enough. You’ll need to give them a scrub too, explain Amy and Bryce Van Leuven, who have designed ‘GoodEgg’, the world’s first egg brush.

Image via GoodEgg

While eggs travel through the same exit point as feces and reproductive fluid, nature does provide them with a safeguard known as the ‘bloom,’ a protective coating that shields the egg as it leaves the bird’s cloaca. This bloom acts as a barrier, preventing contaminants from penetrating the shell and allowing eggs to be stored at room temperature for extended periods. However, the surface of the egg might host a range of potential pollutants like poop, mud, bacteria, viruses, feathers, and more.

In the words of the creators, eggs are essentially “superfood bird butt nuggets.” You want more of the superfood, and less of the bird butt. However, they were never made to be wiped down with scrubbers, sponges, and washcloths, which could even introduce strange substances into your brunch or cake batter.

And sure, this is a bigger problem for backyard eggs, but it’s no yolk for store-bought ones too. In the US, commercial eggs are sanitized using enzyme-based or chlorine products, which, although potentially making them cleaner than eggs distributed in some other countries, erode the naturally protective bloom.

Plus, “regardless of their state of purchase, eggs are only as clean as the last hands that touched them,” the Van Leuvens point out.

The couple, motivated by their love for backyard animals and sustainable food practices, recognized the need for an effective and gentle egg-cleaning solution. 

“We love our little flock and the eggs they provide our family,” the creators proclaim. “We LOVE that we can keep our eggs fresh for many weeks on the shelf… but when it comes time to eat them, cleaning and sanitizing a delicate egg with its unique surface and shape is honestly not a fun chore.” 

Image via GoodEgg

With a vessel featuring more than 600 silicone nubs, the GoodEgg is tailored to cradle the unique shape of eggs while making close contact with hundreds of spots on the shell, ensuring thorough cleaning without cracking the egg or compromising its protective properties.

The brush is built with a proprietary pattern to optimize debris and dirt removal, while avoiding breaking into the shell.

In an ode to the assorted colors and sizes of eggs collected from coops, the brush arrives in two hues and sizes. The powder pink GoodEgg is ideal for small to medium eggs, while the soft sage variant is sized for medium to jumbo ones, including duck and turkey eggs.

Image via GoodEgg

Besides the brush, the inventors have developed a special cleanser that’s not made of soap but the same natural enzymes that protect eggs in the wild from surface contaminants. It’s a 99% organic food-grade cleanser that’s effective at loosening stuck-on mud, poop, and feathers without penetrating the shell.

GoodEgg’s nest-style design also allows efficient drainage of the accompanying natural enzyme cleanser and facilitates swift drying through passive air circulation.

The egg brush has exceeded its US$12,500 crowdfunding goal on Kickstarter by nearly tenfold, with eight days to go as of the time of writing.

The pair is so proud of their work on this first-of-a-kind brush, they joke: “Maybe we should’ve called the brand ‘IncrediblEgg.’”

[via GoodEgg]