Preserving the Quality Characteristics of Eggs Using Nanotechnology
Abstract
Eggs are known as one of nature’s most complete and functional food sources. In addition to their high nutritional value, their rich mineral and vitamin content makes them an important commercial product, particularly due to their unique applications in the food industry. However, due to their source of production and physical properties, they have a short shelf life, and quality loss is inevitable. Due to its structure, the egg is a food susceptible to microbial contamination (Salmonella sp.). To derive greater benefit from such a valuable food, methods such as liquid egg pasteurization and powdered egg production are employed. However, in recent years, modern preservation techniques such as nanotechnological coating have been widely researched and applied. In this study, lavender (Angustifolia-Sevtopolis) extract was nanoencapsulated within a polyvinyl alcohol polymer using the electrospinning method, collected on wax paper and aluminum foil, and used to coat chicken eggs contaminated with Salmonella typhimurium (ST). Over a 35-day storage period at 4 °C, the internal and external quality parameters, total aerobic bacterial count, and Salmonella count of the egg samples were determined. The thermal behavior, molecular characterization, and morphological properties of the produced nanofibers were determined using TGA, FTIR, and SEM analyses. As a result, compared to the control group samples (without nanofiber application), total aerobic bacterial growth in the egg samples was inhibited by up to 31.9% (1.38 log CFU/g) over the 35-day storage period. It was demonstrated that the treatment inhibited ST growth by up to 3.2 log CFU/g on aluminum foil and 2.6 log CFU/g on wax paper. The applied nanoencapsulation method reduced weight loss without affecting shell thickness; it also maintained critical quality parameters such as the white index, yellow index, and Haugh unit at high levels compared to the control. The application of nanofibers containing lavender extract has been demonstrated as an effective nanotechnological strategy applicable to the food industry, which preserves egg quality parameters and enhances microbiological safety.
