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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.

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 of time. It is commonly used for milk 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.

Rationale for pasteurizing eggs

The FDA Food Code 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 raw shell eggs that are not cooked 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 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 U.S.

Salmonellosis, the illness from Salmonella infection, is characterized by nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever, and headache. Onset is 6-48 hours after consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. As few as 15 bacterial cells can cause food-borne illness.

The Centers for Disease Control 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.

Avian flu virus

The process of pasteurizing eggs also destroys avian flu virus.

Food code compliance

The FDA Food Code 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 a child or adult day care center, kidney dialysis center, hospital, or nursing home): “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.

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.” By law, all egg products sold in the U.S. must be pasteurized. This is achieved by heating the products to a specified temperature for a specified period of time.

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 eggnog) 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, Washington, 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. 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.

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 University, 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 foodservice 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.”

References

1. ^ US Food and Drug Administration. Food Code 2005. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fc05-toc.html Cite error: The named reference "one" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
2. ^ US Department of Agriculture. Egg Products and Food Safety. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Factsheets/Egg_Products_and_Food_Safety/index.asp Cite error: The named reference "two" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
3. ^ U.S. Department of Agriculture. Shell eggs from farm to table. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Focus_On_Shell_Eggs/index.asp Cite error: The named reference "three" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
4. World Health Organization. Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks in poultry and in humans: Food safety implications. 2005. http://www.who.int/foodsafety/fs_management/No_07_AI_Nov05_en.pdf
5. ^ US Food and Drug Administration. Real Progress in Food Code Adoptions. http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Eear/fcadopt.html Cite error: The named reference "six" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
6. ^ US Department of Agriculture. Egg Products and Food Safety. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Factsheets/Egg_Products_and_Food_Safety/index.asp Cite error: The named reference "four" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
7. ^ National Pasteurized Eggs. Patented Technology. http://safeeggs.com/npehistory.html Cite error: The named reference "five" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
8. ^ Zeldes, Leah A. (December 23, 2009). "Eat this! Old-fashioned eggnog, made safer, thanks to Chicago-area eggs". Dining Chicago. Chicago's Restaurant & Entertainment Guide, Inc. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
9. Microwave Pasteurization of Shell Eggs - A Prelude
10. Pending Pasteurization Policy Could Alter Eggs Forever
11. Think Outside the Carton
12. http://www.relishmag.com/article/38387.html
13. http://www.womensfoodserviceforum.com/export/sites/wff/about/awards/2009_award_nominations/leadership_award/Jewel_Hunt_PerishableFoodsFinalProof.pdf
14. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_20031029/ai_n10028263/
15. Nat’l. Pasteurized Eggs Reaches Production Milestone; Processes Its 600 Millionth Egg. International Business Times. 24 September 2008 http://www.ibtimes.com/prnews/20080924/il-natl-pasteurized.htm

• Eggs (food)