title: Effects of vacuum packing on eggshell microbial activity and egg quality in table eggs under different storage temperatures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to establish the effects of vacuum packing on eggshell microbial activity and egg quality traits in table eggs during 42 days of storage at 5 and 22 °C. Treatments were no vacuum packing (control) and vacuum packing (VP). Egg quality traits measured included egg weight loss, specific gravity, shell strength, albumen height, Haugh unit, yolk index, albumen pH, yolk pH, albumen colour and yolk colour.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VP eggs maintained higher specific gravity, albumen height, Haugh unit and yolk index and lower egg weight loss, albumen pH and yolk pH compared with control eggs after 42 days at 22 °C. VP eggs had lower levels of total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus spp. and moulds/yeasts than control eggs over the storage period at both 5 and 22 °C. However, VP eggs had a higher level of coliforms than control eggs after 42 days at 5 °C.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicated that vacuum packing extended the egg shelf life to at least 42 days compared with control eggs at 5 and 22 °C.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, Selcuk University, Konya, 42075, Turkey. slaurie@arc.agric.za
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aygun
authors.forename: Durmus
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sert
mesh_terms: D000418:Albumins; D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria; D003116:Color; D004032:Diet; D004528:Egg Shell / Q000382:microbiology*; D004530:Egg Yolk; D004531:Eggs / Q000032:analysis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000592:standards; D005516:Food Microbiology; D018857:Food Packaging / Q000379:methods*; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D061353:Food Storage / Q000379:methods*; D005658:Fungi; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D013046:Specific Gravity; D013696:Temperature; D014618:Vacuum
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins