TikTok has become famous as a home for dance challenges, health remedies, and other viral trends. Lately, however, the platform has also become a place where parents can trade tips and tricks for caring for their kids. Unfortunately, one of the latest parenting hacks to hit TikTok, the “mini eggs” trend, is drawing dire warnings from health professionals.
The mini eggs trend took off on TikTok thanks to a video from account @thatfalzonfamily, run by mom Alexandra Bewicke. In the clip, Bewicke documents how she makes the tiny egg snacks for her daughter by freezing an egg before peeling it, slicing it into discs, and frying them up.
Berwicke’s clip went viral instantly, gaining over 12 million views within just a week according to Today. The video’s comments teemed with parents blown away by the idea.
“OMG! My partner has just ran to the freezer to pop a few in,” one commenter wrote.
“You literally just discovered fire!” enthused another.
The trend soon took off across social media worldwide. Last week, Australian fitness influencer Chontel Duncan — pictured in the top image — went viral on Instagram with her own tutorial for mini eggs. Just over a week later, the clip has gained over 19,000 likes.
Concerns Of Health And Safety
While many commenters welcomed the snack idea, a few questioned whether it was actually safe.
“Pedi ER doc & child safety expert here. This is not a safe way to prepare,” user @dr.free.hess commented on Berwicke’s TikTok clip. “They should not be frozen in their shells. The FDA warns against this.”
In a statement to Today, US Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service expanded on these concerns.
“Due to the risk of foodborne illness, especially among an at-risk population like children, it would not be recommended to do this method of egg preparation,” a department spokesperson said. “There are food safety risks involved, such as cross-contamination and under-cooking the egg, that could cause foodborne illness if not properly handled.”
Madelyn Fernstrom, the health and nutrition editor for NBC News, echoed these sentiments.
“It’s a bad idea to freeze raw eggs,” Fernstrom said. “When the liquid egg freezes it expands and can crack the outer shell and inner membrane next to it — allowing bacteria to freely enter the egg and contaminate it. Some can be hairline cracks (can’t easily see) but still allow bacteria in. And freezing does not kill the bacteria. It’s a food safety risk.”
For more information on using TikTok challenges and trends, check out Parentology’s breakdown here.
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