Can Gluten Molecules Permeate Egg Shells?

[kwylee]

I'm doing some research and have a question.

If someone hard boil eggs in a pan that may contain traces of gluten, e.g., boiled pasta previously, could that cross contamination be absorbed into the inside of the shell to the egg? I would certainly expect cross contamination to be possible on the shell, but I'm wondering if anyone knows whether the egg shell is porous enough to allow the gluten into the uncracked egg itself?

[bartfull]

I don't THINK so, but when you crack the shell, any CC on the outside is bound to touch the inside, even if just for a second.

[Adalaide]

If this were possible I'm pretty sure there would be warnings about it somewhere. On top of the shell of the egg, don't forget that there is also the skin inside between the shell and the part we eat. If you are truly that paranoid you can shell them under running water which is tbh about 100 times easier than shelling them any other way.

Edit: I realized after I posted that this may come off wrong, don't take it the wrong way. I am the most paranoid person I know since going gluten free. Seriously. I'm more afraid of gluteny children than contagious illnesses. Boiled eggs don't scare me in the least.

[kwylee]

Edit: I realized after I posted that this may come off wrong, don't take it the wrong way. I am the most paranoid person I know since going gluten free. Seriously. I'm more afraid of gluteny children than contagious illnesses. Boiled eggs don't scare me in the least.

Thanks so much! I'm actually asking less for culinary purposes and more for research for something I'm writing. But I guess it would be a good thing to keep in mind if you're traveling.

And, no - please don't worry about offending me. I have a pretty "hard shell" - OK, my feeble attempt at humor.

[pricklypear1971]

Thanks so much! I'm actually asking less for culinary purposes and more for research for something I'm writing. But I guess it would be a good thing to keep in mind if you're traveling.

And, no - please don't worry about offending me. I have a pretty "hard shell" - OK, my feeble attempt at humor.

I'd be interested to know how one could accurately test it, since a needle must go through the shell...you get my point.

I'd think the point is that it would get contaminated by touching the outside of the shell...unless you wash with soap???

Then you'd need to test the shell....

How bout just don't boil it in gluteny or cc water?

I bet you could find something on the permeability of eggs and then the size of gluten molecules. Are the molecules too big??

Oh look, this is how you could test it! Open Original Shared Link

[kwylee]

I bet you could find something on the permeability of eggs and then the size of gluten molecules. Are the molecules too big??

Oh look, this is how you could test it! Open Original Shared Link

Yes, you are absolutely correct! The size of gluten molecules must play a big part in this, but I wonder if the gluten molecules could possibly be carried through by osmosis even if the water molecules could not??? Clearly, I'm no scientist!

But thanks for that link. It got me thinking that perhaps I could do a test with food coloring in the water and hard boil the egg. If no coloring comes through in an uncracked egg, then perhaps nothing else go through? Hmmmm. Like I said, I don't want to eat it. I'm writing a novel and I'm kicking around a possible metaphor.

Thanks so much for letting me pick your brains!

[ravenwoodglass]

Yes, you are absolutely correct! The size of gluten molecules must play a big part in this, but I wonder if the gluten molecules could possibly be carried through by osmosis even if the water molecules could not??? Clearly, I'm no scientist!

But thanks for that link. It got me thinking that perhaps I could do a test with food coloring in the water and hard boil the egg. If no coloring comes through in an uncracked egg, then perhaps nothing else go through? Hmmmm. Like I said, I don't want to eat it. I'm writing a novel and I'm kicking around a possible metaphor.

Thanks so much for letting me pick your brains!

If the pan was washed well I wouldn't worry about it.

If the shell was cracked IMHO it might be more of a concern.

Your idea to boil some eggs in water with food coloring as an experiment sounds good to me. Let us know the outcome if you do it.

[deb445]

I'm doing some research and have a question.

If someone hard boil eggs in a pan that may contain traces of gluten, e.g., boiled pasta previously, could that cross contamination be absorbed into the inside of the shell to the egg? I would certainly expect cross contamination to be possible on the shell, but I'm wondering if anyone knows whether the egg shell is porous enough to allow the gluten into the uncracked egg itself?

Egg shells are highly permeable.

In my opinion, it depends on how sensitive you are; or how are aware of your symptoms you are, that you may react. Have you had issues?

[psawyer]

Egg shells are highly permeable.

Agreed. Water can certainly get through them, but water (H₂O) is a small molecule, with an atomic mass of 10. Prolamine molecules (gluten) have atomic masses in excess of 1,000. They are long chains of amino acids--which are themselves large.

[kwylee]

Egg shells are highly permeable.

In my opinion, it depends on how sensitive you are; or how are aware of your symptoms you are, that you may react. Have you had issues?

Thanks for the input and so sweet of you to ask, but I'm OK. My question is purely research. But it has made me wonder about eating boiled eggs from a pan of questionable cc status.

[kwylee]

Agreed. Water can certainly get through them, but water (H₂O) is a small molecule, with an atomic mass of 10. Prolamine molecules (gluten) have atomic masses in excess of 1,000. They are long chains of amino acids--which are themselves large.

EXCELLENT INFO!! Thanks so much!!!