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Pasteurisation of Frozen Mixed Whole Egg
Most of the egg used in the baking industry is supplied in the frozen
condition in tins containing from 14 lbs to 44 lbs. Such egg is hygienically
prepared by mixing freshly shelled egg, subjecting it to rapid freezing and
then maintaining the product in this solid frozen state until it is required
for use. Great care is necessarily taken in the process of preparing such
frozen egg because obviously even the admixture of one egg of unsuitable
freshness or quality could affect the flavour and quality of other egg in the
bulk.
In the process of baking the temperature reached in the goods (cakes
and the like) and the time necessary for baking result in a practically sterile
product
For reasons of public health it has recently become the rule for the
local authorities concerned to make bacteriological examinations of samples
of all shipments of whole egg arriving in their port area and when deemed
necessary - to cover other possible circumstances than the actual baking
to require that certain shipments should only be used for food if a satisfactory
pasteurising process is applied prior to the actual use of the egg
in baking with the proviso that the Medical Officer of Health of the area
where such egg is used shall satisfy himself (as he does for ice cream etc.)
that the pasteurisation applied is properly carried out and is efficient
This pasteurisation treatment is of the same nature and significance as
pasteurisation of milk and ice cream The procedure in the pasteurisation of
egg is much more exacting and delicate than for milk and ice cream because
the temperature and time effects required for adequate pasteurisation verge
on the borderline where egg may coagulate thereby damaging the baking quality
of the egg and also seriously impeding the pasteurising process
With my co-operation and agreement this matter has been adequately and
satisfactorily dealt with in this area by a firm of food manufacturers who
have full facilities for such work and who in their laboratories employ a
scientific staff well experienced in matters of food hygiene
Investigations on the pasteurising of egg were made by that firm and as
a result they developed a process which they found to be fully satisfactory
and which was then brought to my attention
More than 1,000 tons of egg have passed through this specially designed
plant and the following saimonellae have been identified in the material
fore pasteurisation but not afterwards
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