Processing of Egg products

Overview

Vincent Guyonnet, DVM, Ph.D, Dipl. ACPV

IEC Scientific advisor
vincent@internationalegg.com

2013 5 21

 Source of Information / Data
Peer-reviewed scientific papers;

Chapters from the following books;

Industry photos and videos:

http://chinese.moba.nl/ http://www.actini.com/index-cn.php
 Outline of lecture
Overall objectives of egg processing;

Egg processing step by step Liquid eggs;

Egg processing step by step Powder eggs;

Quality assurance and Preventative maintenance;

Questions & Answers at any time

 Overall objectives of egg processing
Safe products to use as an ingredient for other foods
(Pasteurization 5 log reduction of bacterial count);
Prevent sources of contamination during processing,
especially after pasteurization;
Duration of shelf-life to match expectation;
Convenient packaging for end users (large for
industrial users / bakeries, small for food service
users and consumers);
Meet local regulations in place or customer
requirements
Fresh or frozen liquid egg products
Retail egg products
Food service egg products
Industrial egg products
 Outline of lecture
Overall objectives of egg processing;

Egg processing step by step Liquid eggs;

Egg processing step by step Powder eggs;

Quality assurance and Preventative maintenance;

Questions & Answers at any time

Egg processing step by step
Liquid eggs
 Egg Receiving and storage

Eggs will be received from farms by trucks or in

line from farms on the site;

Eggs will be kept refrigerated at 13C until used;

Usually allowed to warm to room temperature

(20C) for 12-24 hours;
Egg Receiving and storage
Egg Receiving and storage

Video link
Egg Loading
Egg Loading

Video link
Egg Washing

Video link
 Egg candling
Remove dirty eggs;

Remove eggs with defects

(meat spots, blood spots,
black spots and other rotten
eggs);

Remove eggs leaking and

broken eggs;
Egg candling

Video link
 Egg breaking
Physical separation of the shell from the edible
part;

Edible part can be separated further into yolk, egg

white or whole egg;

Opportunity to further inspect the eggs for quality

(visual or video monitoring);

Equipment capacity varies (up to 180,000 eggs /

hour);
Egg breaking
Egg breaking
Egg breaking
Egg breaking
Egg breaking

Video link
Egg breaking

Video link
Egg breaking

Video link
Egg breaking

Video link
Egg breaking
 Egg breaking

Inedible Whole egg Yolk Egg white

Courtesy of Sanovo Group

Egg breaking
Egg breaking - Separation
 Egg breaking - Separation

Video link
 Egg breaking - Separation

Video link
 Egg breaking

Short video (3 mins) courtesy of

See DVD Egg Breaker EBS 400

 Egg shell handling
Often considered as a waste by the egg processing
industry with no value;

Disposed as waste, buried or spread on fields as

fertilizer;

Drying and further processing will increase the

value of this by-product (source of calcium for
animals and humans);
Egg shell handling
Filtering for egg
shell
Cooling to < 4C
Storage of raw liquid products

Video link
Batching = Mixing with other ingredients

Gums, vitamin
premix, oil, milk
and milk powder,
Homogenization
Used to break fat particules
to make pasteurisation more
efficient;

Used for yolk, whole egg and

products with other
ingredients;

Not used for egg white;

 Homogenization

Source: Dairy Processing Handbook, (Tetra Pak)

 Homogenization Valve
Base
Product
Homogenized
Product non
homogenized

Product
Homogenized

Space
 Homogenization
2 stages process
1st stage 2nd stage
Fat Globule distribution (%)

Homogenized 250 bar

Homogenized 100 bar
Non homogenized

Fat Globule diameter (m)

Holding at <4C
for 24-48 hrs
 Pasteurization
Critical part of processing to ensure food safety
and extended shelf-life
Combined temperature and time to
achieve desired killing rate
4 key components:
Tank, tubes, CIP pump and valves;

Heat exchanger (plate or tubes)

Holding tube (length and flow)

Control / Recording system

 Liquid Egg Inlet

Liquid Egg

4C
Storage Tank

Source: Diagram from Actini

Solutions
Water CIP

Starting Tank

Homogenizer

Pre-heating section
67C

57C

4C
72-
74C

Regeneration section
72C

Cooling section

Holding section
3C

Heating section
OVOFLASH

Liquid Egg Outlet

 Pasteurization
Critical part of processing to ensure food safety
and extended shelf-life;

System designed to prevent a number of

problems such as small leaks in piping,
equipment malfunctioning, shortage of power
during pasteurization;
 Plate exchanger
Equipment designed to save
energy and increase
efficiencies;

Transfer energy to product

from cold water / glycol and
hot water;

Recover heat from

pasteurized product to warm
the cold raw product;
 Section Separation Plate exchanger
Plate
Mobile plate

Frame plate

Plate
Section

Thightening
bars
Plate exchanger
Number of passages within the plate exchanger (example):

Warm product: 2 X 4 (2 passages in 4 plates)

Cold product: 4 X 2 (4 passages in 2 plates)

 Plate exchanger
Allows for the return to the balance tank in case
of system failure
 Balance Tank
(Tank to ensure constant level)
 Holding tubes

Designed to maintain the

egg product at a constant
temperature for the desired
time;
Indicating thermometer
Recording thermometer
(Anderson)

66
Example of recording Chart
(Honeywell STLR
model DR45AS)

Diversion valve
Product
position
temperature

Hot water temperature

(optionnel)

68
Diversion valve position

Temperature
Video link
Video link
Diversion valve
 Diversion valve

(Tetra Pak Dairy Processing Handbook)

 Diversion

Rinse Gap

Forward Flow

Holding tube

Balance Tank
 Diversion

Rinse Gap

Forward Flow

Holding Tube
Balance Tank
 Diversion

Rinse Gap

Forward Flow

Pasteurized side of
Heat exchange plate

Holding tube Balance tank

 Pasteurization
Critical part of processing to ensure food safety
and extended shelf-life;

System designed to prevent a number of

problems such as small leaks in piping,
equipment malfunctioning, shortage of power
during pasteurization:
Pressure differential;
System process;
 Role of Pressure differential
Warm
Pasteurized Plate wall
egg product

Higher pressure on
pasteurized side
(~ 2 psi or 0.14 bar)
Cold Raw egg
product
 Role of Pressure differential
Warm
Pasteurized Plate wall
egg product

Higher pressure on
pasteurized side
(~ 2 psi or 0.14 bar) Cold Raw egg
product
 Pressure differential
Warm Cold Water (1 C or
Pasteurised Glycol (-1 C)
product

Warm Cold
Pasteurised Raw product
product

Cold
Hot water (58-72 C)
Raw product
 Pasteurization
Critical part of processing to ensure food safety
and extended shelf-life;

System designed to prevent a number of

problems such as small leaks in piping,
equipment malfunctioning, shortage of power
during pasteurization:
Pressure differential;
System process;
 DIVERSION LINE

INDICATING
LEAK DETECTION LINE THERMOMETER
RECIRCULATION DIVERSION
VALVE VALVES

PRESSURE
CONTROL RECORDING
HOT WATER THERMOMETER (STLR)

HEATING Safety
COOLING
Thermo
FINISHED Limit
PRODUCT Recorder

RECIRCULATION
LINE HOLDING
TUBE
COLD WATER BOOSTER
PUMP

REGENERATION
DIVERSION VALVE

TIMING PUMP

Pasteurisateur HTST de
base avec pompe rgulatrice
BALANCE TANK lobes et pompe d appoint
Raw product Cold water (2C)
Pasteurized product Hot water (xxC)
Raw product Cold water (2C) Stages of
Pasteurized product Hot water (xxC) operations
 Temperature below legal
Return to balance requirement
Tank via VDD1

If leak with VDD1

Return via VDD2

No cold water
circulation

Booster pump OFF;

Regeneration diversion
valve open; Raw product Pressure in product
in regeneration zone can higher than
return to balance tank pressure in hot water
and release pressure

Timing pump ON

DIVERSION (Stage 1)
 Forward flow VDD1
Legal temperature
reached ( cut-in )

Return to balance tank

via VDD2, rinse space
between VDD1 and VDD2

No cold water
circulation

Booster pump OFF;

regeneration diversion
valve opened;
no presure on raw side

RINSE GAP (Stage 2)

 Legal temperature
Increased pressure reached
in pastreurized side 2 valves on
of regeneration zone Forward flow

No cold water
circulation

Booster pump OFF;

Regeneration
diversion
valve opened; no
pressure
from raw side of
regeneration zone

FORWARD FLOW (Beginning, Stage 3)

 Legal temperature
Pressure in pasteurized side at least reached
2 valves on
2 psi > max. pressure from Forward flow
Booster pump

Cold water circulation,

Product pressure
>
Water pressure

Booster pump ON;

Diversion valve closed

FORWARD FLOW (Stage 4)

Pasteurised product sequestred
between VDD2 and the event
Now under positive pressure 2 valves
in diversion
mode

No flow; released of
pressure

No flow; released of
pressure

Booster pump OFF; Raw product sequestred between

Regeneration diversion Timing pump and VDD1,
valve opened Now under positive pressure

STOP
During Forward flow, what happens if? :
Temperature
Below legal requirement

Pressure
difference < 2 psi

Manual Diversion Power outage

 Pasteurization
Canadian minimum legal temperature and time

Type of production Temperature (T C) Holding time (mins)

Whole egg 61C 3
Egg white 54 C 3
Yolk 68 C 3

List of temperature and time for a number of production types

Need to demonstrate efficacy for any new product type not
covered by the regulations
 Pasteurization temperatures

Source: Data from Actini

Storage at < 4C
Packaging line - Bags

Video link
Packaging line - Bulk

Video link
Packaging line Retail product
Packaging lines
Packaging lines
 Storage
Refrigeration <4C or
Frozen <-18C
Egg processing - overview

Short video (2 mins) courtesy of

 Outline of lecture
Overall objectives of egg processing;

Egg processing step by step Liquid eggs;

Egg processing step by step Powder eggs;

Quality assurance and Preventative maintenance;

Questions & Answers at any time

 Egg Drying

Spray liquid eggs with high pressure into hot air

(droplet 10-200 m) become powder in ~ 12 seconds
 Egg Drying
Spray liquid eggs with high pressure (130-200
bar or 2,000-3,000 psi) into hot air (160-194 C);

Glucose needs to be removed first from egg

white to ensure good product stability (issue of
caramelisation / Maillard reaction);

Glucose can be removed also from whole egg

and yolk (products stabilized) when powders
are kept for long periods of time (1 year at room
temperature);
Effect of sugar removal on stability
Powder Un-stabilized Stabilized
product
Whole egg ~ 1 month at room 1 year at room
temp. / 1 year temperature
refrigerated
Yolk ~ 3 months at room ~ 8 months at room
temperature / 1 year temperature
refrigerated
Egg White Kept at <10 C
Egg Powder Process Flow Egg white
 Removal of sugar from Egg White
Various possible methods:
Natural fermentation (24-29 C) in 6-7 days;
Control bacterial fermentation (Streptococcus or
Lactobacillus) 30-35 C in 24 hours;
Yeast fermentation (Sacharomyces);
Enzyme fermentation (Glucose oxidase);

Industrial production: Controlled bacterial

fermentation (30-33C) with unpasteurized
product;
 Dried Egg White
Glucose removed before drying;

Whipping aids can be added (sodium lauryl sulfate

<0.1% w/w) in the liquid egg white before
spraying to facilitate whipping characteristics;
 Egg Drying

Dust powder
Spraying recovery
 Hot room treatment for
Egg white powder
Various times and
temperatures used for
commercial production:

54.4 C for 7 days;

60 C for 8 days;
64 C for 14 days;
Egg Powder Process Flow
Yolk and whole egg
 Dried Yolk and Whole Egg
Products pasteurized before drying / spraying;

Glucose can be removed before drying to increase

shelf-life at room temperature not commonly
done;

Glucose-free corn syrup and sucrose can be

added before drying to increase whipping
capabilities and product stability;
 Egg drying targets
Egg White Powder

8 kg liquid egg white

=
1 kg egg white powder
Water 88%

Water <8%
Solids 12%
Solids 92%
 Egg drying targets
Whole Egg Powder

3.9 kg liquid whole egg

=
1 kg whole egg powder
Water 74%

Water 5%
Solids 26%
Solids 95%
 Egg drying targets
Yolk Powder

2.2 kg liquid egg white

=
1 kg egg white powder
Water 55%

Water 5%
Solids 45%
Solids 95%
 Egg drying targets
Example of commercial equipment capacity:

Egg White Powder: 7-217 kg / hr;

Yolk Powder: 46-1,400 kg / hr;

Whole Egg Powder: 18-500 kg / hr;

Egg powder specifications
Egg powder process - overview

Short video (5 mins) courtesy of

 Outline of lecture
Overall objectives of egg processing;

Egg processing step by step Liquid eggs;

Egg processing step by step Powder eggs;

Quality assurance and Preventative maintenance;

Questions & Answers at any time

 Quality Assurance
Government regulations:
Inspection of eggs / candling
Control pasteurization parameters
Control product storage temperature
Equipment cleaning processes and parameters
Level of chlorine
Salmonella-free and total bacterial counts

Company standards:
Salmonella, Listeria, Coliforms, Yeast / Mold, E. coli and other
pathogens requested by customers;
Shelf-life for all lots for bacteriology, aspect and
cooking characteristics
Abuse tests (8.5 C for 7 and 14 days)
Selection of eggs for certain products
Audit pre-manufacturing daily
(swabs, equipment, charts)

RMB 0.175 / kg produced

Equipment Cleaning in place (CIP)
 Equipment Cleaning in place (CIP)
Raw side silos and lines once a day;
Pasteurizer 4 x short cycle (50) and 1 x long
cycle (120) daily
Water rinse;
Sodium hydroxyde (1% NaOH) and chlorine (70-
80C, flow rate, concentration 15)
Water rinse
Acid wash (minerals) at 70C, 200 l/min
Water rinse;

Pasteurized side silos and lines once a day;

All steps controlled by computer, recorded and
verified daily;
RMB 0.154 / kg produced;
Egg processing monitoring
Short video (2 mins) courtesy of
Equipment maintenance
Equipment maintenance
 Conclusion
Egg processing is complex where pasteurization
the key step to guarantee food safety and
products long term shelf-lives;

Pasteurization is not the unique recipe to

success Sanitation and preventative
maintenance are also very important steps in
food processing;

Egg processing is rapidly growing in China and

will offer great job opportunities for young
graduates;