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Rapid Cooling of Shell Eggs

Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering, University of California - Davis, CA 95616; Phone: (530) 752-6167; FAX: (530) 752-2640

R. A. Ernst

Department of Animal Sciences, University of California - Davis, CA 95616

D. Kuney

UC Cooperative Extension Southern Region, Moreno Valley, CA 92557-8708

H. Riemann and S. Himathongkham

Department of Population, Health, and Reproduction, University of California - Davis, CA 95616

G. Zeidler

Department of Animal Sciences, University of California - Riverside, CA 92521

Correspondence: J. F. Thompson, E-mail:jfthompson{at}ucdavis.edu

Rapid cooling and storing eggs at 45°F is one of the procedures required to minimize pathogen hazards in shell eggs. Laboratory and commercial tests showed that forced-air cooling techniques can cool packaged shell eggs to 45°F in 2 to 4 hr. Forced-air cooling is fastest when eggs are packed in cartons with view windows or fiber trays. Cartons should be oriented parallel to air flow for shortest cooling times. Room-cooling of eggs in non-vented cases requires more than 2 days, but cases with 5% side wall vents reduce cooling time to a range of 22 to 28 hr. Room-cooling in wire baskets (15 doz capacity) can be done in 10 hr. Rapid cooling slows the rate of albumen quality loss and reduces weight loss compared with conventional slow cooling. We observed no effect of rapid cooling on reducing shell strength nor on causing an increase in shell cracks compared with slow cooling. Rapid cooling did not appear to affect Salmonella enteritidis penetration of sound eggs.

Key Words: Egg quality • forced-air • precooling • refrigeration • Salmonella