Survey of Circumstances and Bacterial Contamination on Grading and Packaging Centers and Liquid Egg Plants in Saitama Prefecture

Abstract

We studied on bacterial contamination of liquid eggs, intact eggs and manufacturing processes at liquid egg plant in 1990 and 1992, and inquired into the circumstances of GPcenters and liquid egg plants in Saitama Prefecture.
Cracked eggs and dirty eggs were much more contaminated by bacteria than normal eggs. Good results were obtained on the liquid egg plant No. 1 in 1990, but many kind of Salomonella spp. were isolated from intact eggs, the manufacturing processes and liquid egg products in 1992.
Almost all GPcenters washed eggs by a one-way style and almost all liquid egg plants sterilized the eggs with sodium hypochlorite before breaking them. Some liquid egg plants pasteurized liquid eggs by heating at 60°C for 3-5 min.
To prevent the distribution of contaminated liquid eggs, not only hygienic management of the manufacturing processes but also heat pasteurization of liquid egg products is recommended.