Bouncy eggs baffle villagers: bargain buy sparks health scare

Villagers in Kerala’s Wayanad district were left stunned after duck eggs purchased from roadside vendors behaved bizarrely when cracked open. What appeared to be regular eggs turned out to be anything but — some oozed a thick, jelly-like fluid, while others hardened into rubbery blobs. One even bounced when dropped, according to startled buyers.

Sold at a tempting rate of 11 for ₹100, the eggs were delivered directly to homes or sold through roadside stalls by vendors reportedly from Tamil Nadu. The unusually low price attracted many, especially in the Kaniyambetta and Millumukku areas, where duck eggs are commonly used.

The alarm was raised only after people noticed strange textures — some eggs refused to crack easily, some turned rubbery after boiling, and others emitted a foul or gluey consistency. Several households have now preserved the eggs to present to health authorities for testing.

While fears of “fake” or “plastic” eggs have resurfaced — as they did during a 2017 panic — food safety officials previously dismissed such claims, pointing instead to common causes like spoilage or improper storage. Experts say prolonged heat exposure, poor hygiene at farms, or neglect in refrigeration could easily explain these abnormalities.

Residents have been urged to buy only from reliable sources and to use simple freshness checks like the water test or visual inspection before cooking.

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