Development of Chemical-free Egg Shell Surface Decontamination Methods Through Electro Nano-spray

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Eggs and egg products are widely consumed. Although eggs are an excellent source of many nutrients, they could also be carriers of foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli. A 63% increase in annual incidence of Salmonella enteritidis human cases was reported in Canada from 2003 to 2009, which identified the consumption of poultry products (eggs and chickens) as one of the causes. Hence, control of microbial contamination in the egg and chicken industry will assist in addressing safety concerns. At present, egg washing is the standard procedure to remove dirt and microbes from the shell surface, which generally uses hot water and chemicals to effectively destroy a wide spectrum of pathogenic organisms. However, the large amount of water used for washing and the potential deposition of chemicals onto the shell surface indicate a need to develop environmentally friendly, chemical free, and low-cost surface decontamination processes. In this project, a novel decontamination process for shell eggs will be developed based on electro nano-spray techniques, from which nano-sized water droplets are generated. Microbial deactivation efficiency and impacts on egg quality of nano-sized droplets will be evaluated. The primary results obtained from this project will provide technical guidance for the egg industry to adopt this new decontamination process in larger scale operations.