Effect of Different Packaging Materials on Quality Characteristics of Chicken Eggs during Storage at Room Temperature (32°C)

Abstract

The chicken egg is a perishable food product, which could lose its quality rapidly during storage. With the objective of determining the effect of different egg cartons and storage time and their interaction on change of quality characteristics of chicken eggs during storage at room temperature (32°C), internal quality characteristics (weight loss (%), Haugh unit, yolk index, yolk pH, albumin pH, yolk color and air cell depth) of packed [with paper molded cartons, polystyrene cartons, plastic/PVC (polyvinyl chloride) cartons] and unpacked (control) chicken eggs during 4 weeks of storage were evaluated. Salmonella, Escherichia coli and Total Viable Plate Counts were enumerated from the internal content of eggs. There was a negative effect (P<0.05) of storage time on Haugh unit, yolk index, albumin pH and yolk color regardless of the treatment at 32°C while, weight loss (% ), yolk pH and air cell depth significantly (P<0.05) increased regardless of the treatment (paper molded cartons, polystyrene cartons, plastic/PVC cartons and the control) with increased storage time at 3 2°C. Results of microbiological analysis showed that the eggs which were subjected to different treatments were all microbiologically safe throughout the four weeks of storage at 32°C. Therefore, results support the conclusion that the internal quality of the egg diminishes according to the storage time at room temperature. Plastic/PVC packaging material was better in preserving the quality parameters [Haugh Unit, Weight Loss (% )] of packed eggs at least for four weeks, compared to all the other treatments at 32°C.