Eggshell microbiology and quality of hatching eggs subjected to different sanitizing procedures

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of different disinfection procedures as alternatives to formaldehyde fumigation on eggshell microbial load and quality of eggs from a 42-week-old Cobb commercial breeder flock. A total of 10,080 clean eggs collected from the nests were randomly distributed in a randomized complete block design, among the following treatment groups: 13.33 g m-3 formaldehyde fumigation, 5-10 ppm ozone fumigation, 6.36 mW cm-2 UV-C light irradiation, spraying with 1.56% hydrogen peroxide, spraying with 0.13% peracetic acid, spraying with water (wet control), and no disinfection procedure (dry control). Per treatment, eight samples of four eggs each were collected before and after the disinfection procedure, in order to count the number of Enterobacteriaceae and total aerobic mesophilic bacteria on the eggshell. Only eggs subjected to the formaldehyde and UV treatments showed a significant reduction in total aerobic mesophilic bacterial count on the eggshell, when compared with those of the dry control group. Treatments did not affect eggshell thickness and resistance force. UV light exposure is effective in reducing microbial load on 42-week-old breeder flock eggshells, without affecting their quality, and can be considered an alternative to formaldehyde disinfection.

Efficacy of six disinfection methods against extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing E. coli on eggshells in vitro

“…The foaming agent added to the product preparation used in this study allowed a prolonged exposure time and partly neutralized the strong smell of the peracetic acid. Past studies state un-efficacious disinfection against enterobacteria with peracetic acid [54] which might indicate that the foaming agent included in this study increased the disinfection efficacy against the chosen contamination model.…”

Effects of shell disinfection with polyhexamethylene guanidine chloride on the safety and quality characteristics of edible eggs

“…Microbial contamination occurs most of all through the shell shell, in particular due to pollution with poultry waste products and other organic substances, as well as due to the settling of microorganisms from the air basin of the room. In addition to the above, during storage of egg products at high humidity and air temperature, bacteria develop on the shell and are embedded in the contents of the product, while reducing its value [4][5][6][7][8][9].…”

Effect of shell disinfection with AQUALYTE (NEUTRAL ANOLYTE) on inactivation of Salmonella enteritidis and quality of edible eggs

“…If the eggs are stored in rooms with high humidity -90-100% and temperature above 16°C, microbes grows on the shell takes place. The microbes destruct mucin in the poresand penetrate the contents of the egg, causing its spoilage [5,6].…”

“…Washing eggs with drinking water reduces the shell microbial contamination to some extent, but it cannot ensure absolute cleaning of Salmonella and other undesirable microflora [4,7,8]. Egg shell disinfection is required to increase the microbiological safety of fresh chicken eggs used for human consumption, egg production or incubation [5,9,10].…”

“…To prevent the ingress of foreign microflora into egg products, scientists develop the ways to inactivate pathogenic microflora on the surface of the shell of food eggs. Currently, a number of physical methods have been proposed for the shell surface disinfection, namely, ultraviolet (UV) radiation [1,5] and chemical methods -the use of ozone, hydrogen peroxide [1,5], natural white vinegar [10], chlorinebased disinfectants [8,11,12], quaternary ammonium compounds [4], organic acids [4,13], acidic electrolyzed water [13], etc. However, the search for new ways to inactivate pathogenic bacteria on the surface of the shell of food eggs using modern disinfectants is still an urgent task.…”