Pasteurized Egg Products are Safe

In 1970, Congress passed the Egg Products Inspection Act, requiring that all egg products distributed for consumption be pasteurized to destroy Salmonella. According to the American Egg Board, there have been no recorded outbreaks of salmonellosis linked to pasteurized egg products since the institution of mandatory pasteurization 40 years ago.

Of the more than 76 billion eggs eaten annually, slightly more than 30% are in the form of egg products, further processed into either a liquid, frozen or dried form.

The US egg product supply is among the safest in the world. It is important that the food industry remain vigilant in efforts to further improve the microbiological safety and quality of their products," says Craig Skip" Julius, CRS, CCS, CEC, Director of Innovation, Pierre Foods, Cincinnati, Ohio.

The first step in producing an egg product is removal from the shell, followed by filtering and cooling to maintain quality while awaiting processing. Further processing may include the addition of non-egg ingredients, mixing or blending, stabilizing, pasteurizing, cooling, and packaging for freezing or subsequent to drying.

The USDA-approved pasteurization methods assure food manufacturers that theyre using high-quality, safe egg products. The companies involved in producing egg products conduct thousands of quality assurance tests to be sure harmful bacteria are destroyed during the pasteurization process," says Dr. Patricia Curtis, Auburn University Professor and Director of the National Egg Processing Center.

FDA regulations require qualifying statements when the terms no hormones or antibiotics" are declared on labels for eggs. Additionally, no hormones or therapeutic antibiotics are used in the production of eggs for human food. Antibiotics may be used occasionally, but eggs from treated hens are removed from the market for a specified period of time in accordance with applicable regulations.

Although pasteurized refrigerated eggs may have a limited shelf life of a few weeks, both frozen and dried egg products, when properly stored, will maintain a stable shelf life for months.

The American Egg Board offers the following tips to help food processor ensure the safety of further processed egg products once received at the plant:

·        Frozen products should show no signs of having thawed

·        Refrigerated products should be kept at 40 degrees F or below

·        Dried egg products should flow freely and not be caked up or hardened

·        Use all further processed egg products well within any expiration dates

And walking hand in hand with the safety record is egg product convenience. Even with the wide variety of standardized further processed egg products available, processors can tailor them to meet specific formulation needs, functionality and shelf life considerations.

In addition, whether refrigerated liquid, frozen or dried, egg products supply an impressive nutritional profile to most processed food products. When properly stored, these processed egg ingredients will maintain a stable shelf life for months.

Some of the advantages of further processed eggs include:

·        Assurance of a safe product

·        Reduced risk of contamination

·        Extended shelf life

·        Convenience

·        Consistent performance

·        Product stability

·        Functionality