For decades commercial egg processors believed that when eggs are allowed to "sweat" following removal from the refrigerator or cold storage, residual moisture on the shell could lead to contamination with salmonella bacteria. However, a recent study by UC Davis researchers suggests that those fears were unfounded. Led by Ralph Ernst, a UC Davis Cooperative Extension poultry specialist, the research team deliberately contaminated sample eggs from a processing plant with salmonella. They found that chemical coupounds naturally occurring in the egg's inner membrane protected the egg from the bacteria. Ernst and colleagues believe the membrane also likely protects against other harmful bacteria.