Unit IV Processing & Preservation of EGGS
Egg Processing
a. Egg Freezing
Eggs, in addition to storage in the shell, may be preserved by freezing or by the drying of them
contents. An egg cannot be frozen in the shell since the egg shell would crack with the expansion of
liquids when frozen. Therefore, the whole of the liquid contents of the egg is frozen or it is separated
into yolk and white, and frozen.
One of the important problems in freezing is the control of micro-organisms. To reduce
contamination, the shells are usually washed just before the eggs are broken from the shell, and then
freezing is done as quickly as possible. Because of the prevalence of Salmonella, which are
pathogenic, it is better to pasteurize the white, yolk, or whole egg.
Egg-white is very sensitive to heat, being easily coagulated very near the pasteurization temperature. By
heating for 2 min. at 58°C, albumen becomes turbid and viscous and loses its foaming properties. Whole
egg or yolk, in contrast, can be pasteurized at 60°-61.5°C for 3.5 to 4.0 min., without significant changes
in physical and functional properties. The pasteurized whole or separated eggs are placed in cans or
suitable containers and frozen in a sharp freezer room with circulating air at -29°C. Freezing may take
from about 48 to 72 hours.
While frozen egg-white retains its qualities fairly well, yolk and whole egg cannot be frozen
satisfactorily. On freezing, the yolk or whole egg becomes viscous and gummy, a condition known as
"gelation" resulting in altered functional properties. Yolk gelation is due to the formation of ice
crystals on the lowering of storage temperature to below - 6°C (the freezing point of yolk is about
0.58°C). Freezing also reduces the distance between reactants, such as lipoproteins, which enhances
their aggregation. This is prevented by the addition of sugar, salt, or corn syrup to the egg-yolk and
whole egg before freezing. Sugared yolk is used satisfactorily in dessert products, confectionery and
other products that tolerate sugar, while salted yolk is used in the manufacture of mayonnaise. By
enzyme treatment with pepsin it is claimed that egg-yolk maintains functional properties during frozen
storage.
b. Dried Eggs
Drying is another method of egg preservation and there is a demand for egg powder for the
preparation of commercial egg products. The white, yolk or whole egg, after pasteurization, may be
dried by any of the several methods of drying.
The most common method employed for drying eggs is spray drying. The liquid egg is forced through an
atomizer as a fine spray into a drying chamber through which hot air is blown. The powdered egg is
cooled, collected and packaged.
Egg-white contains traces of glucose. When the dehydrated white or whole egg is stored at
temperatures much above freezing, the glucose combines with egg proteins resulting in browning. To
prevent this, glucose is to be removed with glucose oxidase or by fermentation with yeast prior to
drying.
The functional properties of an egg are not adversely affected by drying. The heat coagulation
properties remain practically the same. Dried eggs keep best when the moisture content is low and if
they are kept in tightly sealed containers.
Dried egg-white is quite stable during storage.
However, objectionable changes in colour, flavour, odour and solubility occur when either dried
yolks or whole eggs are held at temperatures higher than 5°C. A lower temperature retards the
undesirable changes, until at -18°C when very little change occurs.
Dried eggs may be reconstituted before use by mixing with an appropriate quantity of water.
The nutritive value of frozen eggs and dried eggs will practically be the same as shell eggs, if
properly stored.
Egg substitutes: Because of the high cholesterol content of egg-yolk, several commercial egg
substitutes have been introduced for a cholesterol-free diet. The basic principle of these substitutes is
to eliminate the egg-yolk and to retain the natural egg-white. Various ingredients are added to
egg-white to simulate whole fresh egg. Egg substitutes are available in fresh, refrigerated or frozen
forms. The nutritional and caloric value of the substitute depend upon the ingredients. Though they
are used in various products where the whole fresh egg is an ingredient, the result is not frequently
identical to the product made using fresh egg. However, for some preparations like scrambled egg and
French omelet they are found quite satisfactory.
Effect of Heat on Egg Proteins-
An egg finds numerous uses in food preparations because of its fundamental properties, which,
in turn, depend on the proteins of the egg. Coagulation of egg proteins is valuable in many
different cooking processes.
Use of egg as a thickening agent, binding agent, and clarifying agent (red wine), are all based on
the coagulation of its proteins when heated.
Various proteins coagulate at different temperatures. The coagulation of the undiluted proteins
of an egg depends on the combination of proteins present. Egg-white proteins begin to
coagulate at 52°C if the heating conditions are controlled carefully. When the white is heated
more rapidly, coagulation begins at 60°C and is completed at 65°C. The coagulation of egg-yolk
begins at 65°C and is completed at 70°C.
The rate and extent of coagulation depend also on time and added ingredients. A rapidly heated
egg mixture coagulates at a higher temperature than a slowly heated one. The egg-white
coagulated at a high temperature is firm and tough when compared with the soft and tender
product obtained when coagulation takes place at a lower temperature. A slow rate of heating
and, consequently, a lower coagulation temperature, are preferable in food preparations.
Ingredients added to eggs affect the temperature of coagulation of egg proteins. Dilution by the
addition of water or milk raises the temperature of coagulation. Sugar in an egg mixture also
elevates the coagulation temperature. Acids, such as cream of tartar or lemon juice, reduce the
coagulation temperature by helping reduce the pH of the egg mixture to the isoelectric point.
The presence of salt lowers the temperature of coagulation. Salt causes coagulation to occur
because the charges of the ions neutralize the charges on the protein molecule. The presence of
salt, thus, aids the coagulation of a dilute egg mixture.
