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Washing table eggs: a review of the scientific and engineering issues

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2007

M.L. Hutchison ,
J. Gittins ,
A. Walker ,
A. Moore ,
C. Burton  and
N. Sparks
M.L. Hutchison
Affiliation:
ADAS Microbiology Department, Woodthorne, Wergs Road, Wolverhampton. WV6 8QT
J. Gittins
Affiliation:
ADAS Poultry Team, Woodthorne, Wergs Road, Wolverhampton, WV6 8QT
A. Walker
Affiliation:
ADAS Gleadthorpe, Meden Vale, Mansfield, Notts. NG20 9PD
A. Moore
Affiliation:
ADAS Microbiology Department, Woodthorne, Wergs Road, Wolverhampton. WV6 8QT
C. Burton
Affiliation:
Silsoe Research Institute, Wrest Park, Silsoe MK45 4HS
N. Sparks*
Affiliation:
Avian Science Research CentreSAC, Ayr, KA6 5HW, United Kingdom
*
*Corresponding author: e-mail: n.sparks@au.sac.ac.uk
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Abstract

Current European Union legislation prohibits the washing of Class A eggs. This is in stark contrast to countries such as the United States of America and, more recently Japan, which have embraced egg-washing technology. The emergence in the UK of egg associated Salmonella enteritidis as a significant cause of food poisoning has, combined with the increase in non-cage egg production systems, increased interest in technologies that might improve the microbial quality of the egg. This paper reviews the history of egg washing in the European Union and more specifically its restricted use in the UK and contrasts this with its uptake in the United States among other countries. Similarly the technological advances in egg washing are reviewed, in the context of the underpinning science.

Keywords

egg washingSalmonellatable eggscontaminationsanitizersbacteria
Type
Reviews
Information
World's Poultry Science Journal , Volume 59 , Issue 2 , June 2003 , pp. 233 - 248
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2003

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