Egg Washing -A Review.

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Microbiology
• Agricultural Practices

Background:

• Egg washing, once condemned, is now a standard practice in regulated plants.
• Historically, improper washing led to increased spoilage during long-term storage.
• Current marketing practices minimize long-term egg storage concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors contributing to egg spoilage during washing.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of egg washing in removing contaminants.
• To assess the impact of wash water quality on egg shelf life.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of egg spoilage associated with various washing parameters.
• Identification of critical wash water characteristics (temperature, bacterial load, iron content).
• Evaluation of washing machine sanitation's role in bacterial contamination.

Main Results:

• Specific washing practices, including cold water, high bacterial counts, soluble iron, and contaminated equipment, promote spoilage.
• Sanitizing chemicals were ineffective against bacteria embedded within eggshells.
• Iron in wash water can accelerate spoilage, even with otherwise satisfactory practices.

Conclusions:

• Egg washing improves appearance and removes surface contaminants.
• Careful control of wash water quality (especially iron content) and temperature is crucial to minimize spoilage.
• While long-term storage is less common, iron contamination remains a concern for egg quality.