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[Microbiological aspects of stored hard-boiled eggs]
Zeitschrift Fur Ernahrungswissenschaft
|December 1, 1979
Summary
Storing hard-boiled eggs at 4°C or coating them with varnish and storing at 20°C maintains excellent bacteriological quality for up to five weeks. Other methods show rapid microbial growth.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Microbiology
- Food Preservation
Context:
- Assessing the shelf-life and microbiological safety of hard-boiled eggs is crucial for food quality.
- Traditional storage methods for hard-boiled eggs often lead to rapid microbial proliferation.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the efficacy of different storage conditions on the bacteriological quality of hard-boiled eggs.
- To determine optimal preservation techniques for extending the shelf-life of hard-boiled eggs.
Summary:
- Hard-boiled eggs stored at 4°C exhibited excellent bacteriological quality for up to 5 weeks.
- Varnish-coated eggs stored at 20°C also maintained excellent bacteriological quality for 5 weeks.
- Untreated eggs stored at 20°C in air showed high microbial contamination (>10^6/g) within one week.
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) atmosphere initially inhibited microbial growth but counts increased significantly after the first week.
Impact:
- Identifies effective methods (4°C storage, varnish coating) for preserving hard-boiled egg quality.
- Highlights the limitations of standard air storage and short-term CO2 effectiveness for hard-boiled eggs.
- Provides valuable data for the food industry to improve hard-boiled egg storage and safety protocols.