Effect of radio frequency energy for intervention processing on the quality of intact eggs

Authors: Bermudez-Aguirre, Luz; Sites, Joseph; Carter, Joshua; Uknalis, Joseph; Niemira, Brendan

Submitted to: Foods
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/25/2024
Publication Date: 10/29/2024
Citation: Bermudez-Aguirre, L.D., Sites, J.E., Carter, J.R., Uknalis, J., Niemira, B.A. 2024. Effect of radio frequency energy for intervention processing on the quality of intact eggs. Foods. 13:3457. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13213457.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13213457

Interpretive Summary: Novel intervention technologies are becoming available to ensure food safety without compromising quality. One of the newest technologies with promising results in eggs is radio frequency. This technology has the potential to pasteurize eggs when applied together with mild thermal treatments (24.5 min, 57°C). However, the effect of radio frequency – alone has not been evaluated in intact eggs. This investigation reports a comprehensive study related to egg quality of albumen, yolk and eggshell for eggs processed with RF. The results showed that the radio frequency treatment did not affect egg quality, as the quality of the albumen and yolk and the integrity of the eggshell remained unchanged.

Technical Abstract: During conventional pasteurization, eggs are submerged for 60 min at 56.7°C, a lengthy and costly process that affects egg quality. Radio frequency (RF), a means to pasteurize eggs without affecting quality, is a novel option based on fast volumetric heating; however, there is scarce information about the quality of such treated food. This research comprised a comprehensive quality study on eggs treated with RF. The RF system was operated at 40.68 MHz, 40 W and 16 W (8 min total), and 42 rpm. The quality assessment included Haugh unit, yolk index, compression strength, albumen turbidity, albumen and yolk pH, and yolk color. Additional analyses were for quantification of the mineral composition of the eggshell (40.68 MHz, 40 W, 42 rpm, 5.5, 8.5, and 10 min); these images were observed under SEM. Results showed that RF did not significantly (p > 0.05) change any quality parameters. The mineral composition remained constant in processed eggs. SEM images of RF - treated eggs showed some smooth spots; however, these areas may exist due to the high variability of eggshells. RF is a novel approach that does not affect the quality of fresh eggs.