New method of decontaminating eggs preserves their nutritional value

Scientists at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) have been researching a promising new technology for decontaminating eggs using USask’s Canadian Light Source (CLS) and have recently published the results of their research. The study is published in the journal Nature. Lightweight.

The problem with traditional egg decontamination processes that use chemicals and heat is that they can damage the egg’s cuticle and shell, which are natural barriers against bacteria and help maintain nutritional value during storage.

The new cleaning method uses tiny droplets of water sprayed with high-voltage electricity to cleanse the egg shells, after which the researchers used the CLS’s ultra-bright synchrotron light to obtain highly detailed 3D scans of the eggs.

The researchers found that the new method significantly reduced the amount of E. coli and Salmonella bacteria on the eggs, while leaving the skin and shell intact and maintaining the nutritional value of the food.

“We hope that this new technology can be added to existing egg processing lines to reliably remove pathogens from the egg surface,” said team member Mehdi Heydari, a postdoctoral researcher in USask’s School of Engineering. “This will help ensure that eggs on grocery store shelves are as safe to eat as possible.” Heydari conducted the research with other USask scientists, including lead researcher Li-Fen Zhang and co-investigators Karen Xue-Ann Lardner and Shelley Kiliczak.

“The use of this emerging green technology will improve food safety and also reduce carbon dioxide emissions during processing,” he added.

The next step in this research is to determine how to scale this technology into large-scale operations.