Microbiological safety and decontamination of chicken eggs

Most people in the world eat the chicken egg, Gallus domesticas. Eggs are susceptible to contamination with pathogens due to their production from birds carrying huge bacterial load. Such contaminations can be either endogenic or exogenic. Also, the presence and availability of the essential nutrients in eggs, facilitates the growth and multiplication of pathogens. Due to their rich nutritive value, the egg components are potential hosts and carriers of pathogenic micro-organisms like Salmonella Enteritidis. The protection for eggs (against contamination) is mainly provided by its shell, which is the first barrier for the microorganisms to pass in order to reach the egg yolk. Therefore, proper decontamination of the egg shell is highly important to eliminate the risks of contamination. Washing is commonly practiced in industry to clean and decontaminate the egg shell, which involves the use of specific detergents and disinfectants. Despite, the protection provided by the shell, the egg components are not completely safe and free from pathogens. Hence understanding the microbiology of eggs will help implement egg safety and decontamination processes for the egg and egg products industry. Therefore, this chapter will bring into limelight, the overall microbiology of eggs with special emphasis on the cleaning and decontamination of shell-eggs and its effects on the microbiological safety, quality and shell life of eggs.