title: Hydrogen peroxide as an alternative hatching egg disinfectant.
abstract: The present study examined the effectiveness of H2O2 at different concentrations to disinfect broiler hatching eggshell surfaces and to maintain hatching potential. Under pure culture conditions, .50% H2O2 yielded over a 6 log kill in 30 s of three potential eggshell bacterial contaminants. Under higher H2O2 demands, such as occurs on eggshell surfaces, H2O2 concentrations of 5% (vol/vol) were required to disinfect the shell surfaces (approximately 5 log reduction). Hatchability of fertile eggs from a 44-wk-old flock was significantly increased by 2% following spraying 5% H2O2 in comparison to untreated controls. Level of contaminated eggs and "early-dead" embryos were significantly reduced in the H2O2-treated eggs. In comparison with formaldehyde fumigation, no significant difference in hatchability due to H2O2 treatment was detected in eggs from a 30- or 56-wk-old flock. Eggshell permeability, as measured by egg moisture loss in an incubator, was not significantly affected by H2O2 (5%) or formaldehyde fumigation when compared with untreated or water-sprayed control eggs. These results demonstrated that H2O2 compared favorably to formaldehyde as a hatching egg disinfectant without adversely affecting hatching potential. Under some conditions, H2O2 actually improved the hatching potential of fertile broiler eggs compared with hatchability of untreated eggs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695-7624.
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Sheldon
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brake
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001234:Aspergillus niger / Q000187:drug effects; D002645:Chickens; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D004528:Egg Shell / Q000187:drug effects*; D004531:Eggs / Q000592:standards*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects*; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010539:Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D011511:Proteus / Q000187:drug effects; D011551:Pseudomonas fluorescens / Q000187:drug effects; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide