Migration of Salmonella enteritidis from the albumen into the egg yolk

Migration of Salmonella enteritidis from the albumen into the egg yolk was investigated in 860 eggs. After artificial contamination of the albumen with different doses of S. enteritidis phage-type 4 the migration and the effect of temperature on the migration process during a storage period of up to 4 weeks were studied. The experiments showed that the first cells can be detected in the yolk within a few days. The process will be relatively rare during chilled storage if the albumen is only slightly contaminated. The migration rate was positively correlated with the level of contamination, the storage temperatures and the age of the eggs.