Pasteurized eggs
Encyclopedia
Pasteurized eggs are eggs
that have been pasteurized
in order to reduce the possibility of food-borne illness in dishes that are not cooked or lightly cooked. They may be sold as liquid egg products or pasteurized in the shell.
but is also used for more than a dozen other types of foods.
Although pasteurization does not sterilize food, i.e., eliminate all microorganisms, proper application of the technique renders foods safer for consumption by reducing the risk of food-borne illness. Food scientists use scientific research and mathematical models to determine precise techniques for achieving reductions in bacterial counts (called log reductions) to achieve food safety.
The amount of log reduction varies by type of food. The World Health Organization
and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration set log reduction standards for food at levels that assure scientifically known possible levels of bacteria are no longer viable, thus eliminating the risk of illness to humans. For example, on foods that may require only 3-log reduction to destroy pathogens, the standards set by the FDA require a 5-log reduction.
defines regular shell eggs as a potentially hazardous food, i.e., “a food that requires time/temperature control for safety (TCS) to limit pathogenic microorganism growth or toxin formation.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture does not recommend eating shell eggs that are raw or undercooked due to the possibility that Salmonella
bacteria may be present.
Because of the risk of food-borne illness caused by Salmonella bacteria that may be present in raw eggs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires a safe-handling advisory statement on all packages of raw shell eggs that are not treated to destroy Salmonella as follows: "Safe Handling Instructions: To prevent illness from bacteria: Keep eggs refrigerated, cook eggs until yolks are firm, and cook foods containing eggs thoroughly."
Salmonellosis, the illness that a Salmonella infection causes, is characterized by nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever, and headache. The onset of its symptoms begins between 6 hours and 48 hours after the consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. As few as 15 bacterial cells can cause food-borne illness.
The Centers for Disease Control and for Disease Prevention estimate there are 217,946 cases of salmonellosis per year in the US (based on data from 2000), and that 174,356 of these cases can be attributed directly to eggs. Of these, an estimated 1440 illnesses require hospitalizations, 75 result in death, and 6,622 result in chronic sequelae (after-effects)—most commonly reactive arthritis, which develops 7–20 days after illness and occurs in an estimated 2-3% of cases.
states that in serving highly susceptible populations (preschool age children; older adults; individuals with compromised immune systems; and individuals who receive meals through custodial care-giving environments such as child or adult day care centers, kidney dialysis
centers, hospitals, or nursing homes): “Pasteurized eggs or egg products shall be substituted for raw eggs in the preparation of foods such as Caesar salad
, hollandaise or Béarnaise sauce
, mayonnaise
, meringue
, eggnog
, ice cream
, and egg-fortified beverages.”
The FDA Food Code has gained adoption by health jurisdictions throughout the U.S.
Egg products include whole eggs, whites, yolks and various blends with or without non-egg ingredients that are processed and pasteurized and may be available in liquid, frozen, and dried forms.” This is achieved by heating the products to a specified temperature for a specified period.
) or in undercooked forms (such as a sunny-side up egg). Many food service and health care providers use these eggs to prevent cross-contamination in their kitchens.
, began developing methods to pasteurize shell eggs.
In the early 1990s, the Coxes were introduced to L. John Davidson. Davidson recognized the market need and opportunity for a safer egg option for consumers and food operations around the country. Davidson acquired a license agreement on the technology from the Cox Family and formed Pasteurized Egg Corporation to introduce safe egg technology to the consumer marketplace.
This process has since been patented and cannot be achieved by a home consumer.http://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP0661921.pdf
Currently, National Pasteurized Eggs Inc. of Lansing, Illinois
, owns Dr. Cox's patent to the pasteurization process and is the exclusive provider of pasteurized shell eggs in the U.S. The eggs can be found in a few states under the brand Davidson's Safest Choice, introduced in 2003.
After pasteurization, the eggs are coated with food-grade wax to maintain freshness and prevent environmental contamination and stamped with a red "P" in a circle to distinguish them from unpasteurized eggs.
, pasteurized shell eggs are nutritionally and aesthetically equivalent to their unpasteurized counterparts. Taste tests noted deficiencies in pasteurized shell eggs experimentally produced via a microwaved pasteurization process (not for commercially available pasteurized shell eggs). Using commercially available pasteurized shell eggs, a San Francisco Chronicle reporter noted a "slight chemical taste" for pasteurized shell eggs, and a Lifescript blogger noted a "barely detectable" flavor and aroma difference and stated the eggs were "worth" their price. Relish magazine states that pasteurized shell eggs “look like real eggs, act like real eggs and taste like real eggs.” Perishable Foods Connection cites a "total product consistency” with the commercially available pasteurized shell egg product.
“Independent taste tests conducted in Good Housekeeping kitchens have not been able to tell any differences between raw and pasteurized eggs,” according to Food Safety News.
According to International Business Times, demand for pasteurized shell eggs within the food service industry is strong because “states such as California, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois have adopted the most recent FDA Food Code, in which pasteurized shell eggs shall be substituted for raw eggs to at-risk groups.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture also states, “In-shell pasteurized eggs may be used safely without cooking.”
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
that have been pasteurized
Pasteurization
Pasteurization is a process of heating a food, usually liquid, to a specific temperature for a definite length of time, and then cooling it immediately. This process slows microbial growth in food...
in order to reduce the possibility of food-borne illness in dishes that are not cooked or lightly cooked. They may be sold as liquid egg products or pasteurized in the shell.
Pasteurization and eggs
Pasteurization is a process for destroying potentially harmful microorganisms in food by applying a precise amount of controlled heat for a specified period. It is commonly used for milkMilk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
but is also used for more than a dozen other types of foods.
Although pasteurization does not sterilize food, i.e., eliminate all microorganisms, proper application of the technique renders foods safer for consumption by reducing the risk of food-borne illness. Food scientists use scientific research and mathematical models to determine precise techniques for achieving reductions in bacterial counts (called log reductions) to achieve food safety.
The amount of log reduction varies by type of food. The World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration set log reduction standards for food at levels that assure scientifically known possible levels of bacteria are no longer viable, thus eliminating the risk of illness to humans. For example, on foods that may require only 3-log reduction to destroy pathogens, the standards set by the FDA require a 5-log reduction.
Rationale for pasteurizing eggs
The FDA Food CodeFood code
The Food Code is released by the United States Food and Drug Administration every four years as a guide or model from which health jurisdictions nationwide can develop their food service sanitation standards...
defines regular shell eggs as a potentially hazardous food, i.e., “a food that requires time/temperature control for safety (TCS) to limit pathogenic microorganism growth or toxin formation.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture does not recommend eating shell eggs that are raw or undercooked due to the possibility that Salmonella
Salmonella
Salmonella is a genus of rod-shaped, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, predominantly motile enterobacteria with diameters around 0.7 to 1.5 µm, lengths from 2 to 5 µm, and flagella which grade in all directions . They are chemoorganotrophs, obtaining their energy from oxidation and reduction...
bacteria may be present.
Because of the risk of food-borne illness caused by Salmonella bacteria that may be present in raw eggs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires a safe-handling advisory statement on all packages of raw shell eggs that are not treated to destroy Salmonella as follows: "Safe Handling Instructions: To prevent illness from bacteria: Keep eggs refrigerated, cook eggs until yolks are firm, and cook foods containing eggs thoroughly."
Salmonellosis
The primary risk associated with eggs is food-borne illness caused by Salmonella enteritidis bacteria. Salmonella enteritidis is a dangerous bacterium that can be transferred to humans through ingestion of raw or undercooked eggs. Eggs and egg-containing foods have been identified as the vehicle in roughly 80% of known-source Salmonella enteritidis infections in the United States.Salmonellosis, the illness that a Salmonella infection causes, is characterized by nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever, and headache. The onset of its symptoms begins between 6 hours and 48 hours after the consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. As few as 15 bacterial cells can cause food-borne illness.
The Centers for Disease Control and for Disease Prevention estimate there are 217,946 cases of salmonellosis per year in the US (based on data from 2000), and that 174,356 of these cases can be attributed directly to eggs. Of these, an estimated 1440 illnesses require hospitalizations, 75 result in death, and 6,622 result in chronic sequelae (after-effects)—most commonly reactive arthritis, which develops 7–20 days after illness and occurs in an estimated 2-3% of cases.
Food code compliance
The FDA Food CodeFood code
The Food Code is released by the United States Food and Drug Administration every four years as a guide or model from which health jurisdictions nationwide can develop their food service sanitation standards...
states that in serving highly susceptible populations (preschool age children; older adults; individuals with compromised immune systems; and individuals who receive meals through custodial care-giving environments such as child or adult day care centers, kidney dialysis
Dialysis
In medicine, dialysis is a process for removing waste and excess water from the blood, and is primarily used to provide an artificial replacement for lost kidney function in people with renal failure...
centers, hospitals, or nursing homes): “Pasteurized eggs or egg products shall be substituted for raw eggs in the preparation of foods such as Caesar salad
Caesar salad
A Caesar salad is a salad of romaine lettuce and croutons dressed with parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, egg, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and black pepper. It may be prepared tableside.-History:...
, hollandaise or Béarnaise sauce
Bearnaise sauce
Béarnaise sauce is a sauce made of clarified butter emulsified in egg yolks and flavored with herbs. It is considered to be a 'child' of the mother Hollandaise sauce, one of the five sauces in the French haute cuisine mother sauce repertoire...
, mayonnaise
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise, , often abbreviated as mayo, is a sauce. It is a stable emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice, with many options for embellishment with other herbs and spices. Lecithin in the egg yolk is the emulsifier. Mayonnaise varies in color but is often white, cream, or pale...
, meringue
Meringue
Meringue is a type of dessert made from whipped egg whites and sugar, occasionally some recipes may call for adding an acid such as cream of tartar or a small amount of vinegar and a binding agent such as cornstarch found in icing sugar which may be added in addition to the corn starch which...
, eggnog
Eggnog
Eggnog, or egg nog, is a sweetened dairy-based beverage traditionally made with milk and/or cream, sugar, beaten eggs , and liquor...
, ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
, and egg-fortified beverages.”
The FDA Food Code has gained adoption by health jurisdictions throughout the U.S.
Pasteurized egg products
As distinct from whole shell eggs, “egg products” are defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as “eggs that are removed from their shells for processing." The processing of egg products includes breaking eggs, filtering, mixing, stabilizing, blending, pasteurizing, cooling, freezing or drying, and packaging. This is done at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-inspected plants.Egg products include whole eggs, whites, yolks and various blends with or without non-egg ingredients that are processed and pasteurized and may be available in liquid, frozen, and dried forms.” This is achieved by heating the products to a specified temperature for a specified period.
Pasteurized shell eggs
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “In-shell pasteurized eggs may be used safely without cooking.” For example, they may safely be consumed raw (as in raw cookie dough or eggnogEggnog
Eggnog, or egg nog, is a sweetened dairy-based beverage traditionally made with milk and/or cream, sugar, beaten eggs , and liquor...
) or in undercooked forms (such as a sunny-side up egg). Many food service and health care providers use these eggs to prevent cross-contamination in their kitchens.
History
By traditional pasteurization methods, heating a raw shell egg to a high enough temperature to achieve pasteurization would also cook the egg. However, beginning in the early 1980s, Dr. James P. Cox and R.W. Duffy Cox of Lynden, WashingtonLynden, Washington
Lynden is the second largest city in Whatcom County. Named and established in 1874 on the site of the Nooksack Indian village Squahalish , the town of Lynden began as a pioneer settlement headed by Holden and Phoebe Judson and is today home to one of the largest Dutch American communities in the...
, began developing methods to pasteurize shell eggs.
In the early 1990s, the Coxes were introduced to L. John Davidson. Davidson recognized the market need and opportunity for a safer egg option for consumers and food operations around the country. Davidson acquired a license agreement on the technology from the Cox Family and formed Pasteurized Egg Corporation to introduce safe egg technology to the consumer marketplace.
This process has since been patented and cannot be achieved by a home consumer.http://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP0661921.pdf
Currently, National Pasteurized Eggs Inc. of Lansing, Illinois
Lansing, Illinois
Lansing is a village in Cook County, Illinois, USA. Lansing is a southern suburb of Chicago. The population was 28,332 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, owns Dr. Cox's patent to the pasteurization process and is the exclusive provider of pasteurized shell eggs in the U.S. The eggs can be found in a few states under the brand Davidson's Safest Choice, introduced in 2003.
Shell egg pasteurization process
Pasteurizing eggs in their shells is achieved through patented processes that involve a series of warm water baths. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “Shell eggs can be pasteurized by a processor if FDA approves the process. The equipment to pasteurize shell eggs isn't available for home use, and it is not possible to pasteurize shell eggs at home without cooking the contents of the egg.”After pasteurization, the eggs are coated with food-grade wax to maintain freshness and prevent environmental contamination and stamped with a red "P" in a circle to distinguish them from unpasteurized eggs.
Quality of pasteurized shell eggs
Opinion on the quality of pasteurized shell eggs is mixed, and sometimes depends on whether comparisons involve experimental processes or products that are actually on the market. According to North Carolina State UniversityNorth Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
, pasteurized shell eggs are nutritionally and aesthetically equivalent to their unpasteurized counterparts. Taste tests noted deficiencies in pasteurized shell eggs experimentally produced via a microwaved pasteurization process (not for commercially available pasteurized shell eggs). Using commercially available pasteurized shell eggs, a San Francisco Chronicle reporter noted a "slight chemical taste" for pasteurized shell eggs, and a Lifescript blogger noted a "barely detectable" flavor and aroma difference and stated the eggs were "worth" their price. Relish magazine states that pasteurized shell eggs “look like real eggs, act like real eggs and taste like real eggs.” Perishable Foods Connection cites a "total product consistency” with the commercially available pasteurized shell egg product.
“Independent taste tests conducted in Good Housekeeping kitchens have not been able to tell any differences between raw and pasteurized eggs,” according to Food Safety News.
According to International Business Times, demand for pasteurized shell eggs within the food service industry is strong because “states such as California, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois have adopted the most recent FDA Food Code, in which pasteurized shell eggs shall be substituted for raw eggs to at-risk groups.”
Exemption for pasteurized shell eggs
The FDA Food Code exempts pasteurized shell eggs from the definition of a potentially hazardous food.” Likewise, the U.S. Department of Agriculture exempts pasteurized shell eggs from the requirement to carry a safe handling advisory statement.The U.S. Department of Agriculture also states, “In-shell pasteurized eggs may be used safely without cooking.”