Computational fluid dynamics analysis for process impact assessment during thermal pasteurization of intact eggs

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Microbiology
• Engineering

Background:

• Thermal pasteurization is crucial for egg safety.
• Understanding heat transfer within eggs is complex.
• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) offers a powerful simulation tool.

Purpose of the Study:

• To model transient temperature and albumen velocity during egg pasteurization.
• To integrate microbial inactivation kinetics with CFD for process assessment.
• To determine theoretical minimum pasteurization times and temperatures for Salmonella Enteritidis reduction.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) package.
• Simulated temperature profiles for various egg sizes.
• Incorporated a kinetic inactivation model for Salmonella Enteritidis.

Main Results:

• CFD simulations closely matched experimental temperature data.
• Identified distinct heat transfer mechanisms: convection in albumen, conduction in yolk.
• Provided theoretical minimum process parameters for a 5-log reduction of Salmonella Enteritidis.

Conclusions:

• CFD analysis combined with inactivation kinetics is effective for assessing egg pasteurization.
• This integrated approach enhances understanding of pasteurization processes.
• Enables optimization of conditions for producing consumer-safe eggs.