Microwave pasteurization of shell eggs is feasible.Mention microwave heating of a shell egg to anyone, and the most common comment concerns its apparently inevitable explosion. But such an explosion is not inevitable. Furthermore, the microwave heating of shell eggs provides an opportunity to significantly improve current shell egg thermal pasteurization pasteurization (păs'ch  rĭzā`shən, -rīzā`shən), partial sterilization of liquids such as milk, orange juice, wine, and beer, as well as cheese, to destroy technology.
The current pasteurization technique is a batch operation Some action performed on a group of items at one time. See batch processing. . It involves immersing the eggs in hot water and requires an hour to complete. On the other hand, through the utilization of microwave energy, a continuous and dry thermal pasteurization process requiring as little as 10 minutes to complete may be possible. Although the viability of such an approach had not been demonstrated, thanks to researchers, it now appears that the shell egg is suited for pasteurization in a microwave environment. A project was undertaken at the National Center for Food Safety and Technology to examine microwave heating of the shell egg. Researchers measured the thermal and dielectric dielectric (dī'ĭlĕk`trĭk), material that does not conduct electricity readily, i.e., an insulator (see insulation). A good dielectric should also have other properties: It must resist breakdown under high voltages; it should not properties of the egg components. They mathematically modeled the shell egg heating behavior in a single mode microwave field. They experimentally verified the results of the model simulations. In addition, scientists measured Salmonella growth in yolk yolk (yok) the stored nutrient of an oocyte or ovum. yolk n. The portion of the egg of an animal that consists of protein and fat from which the early embryo gets its main nourishment and of and albumen al·bu·men n. 1. The white of an egg, which consists mainly of albumin dissolved in water. 2. Albumin. albumen the white of the egg; typically comprising 60% of a bird egg. to determine where growth can be expected. Of the two primary egg constituents, the albumen is the primary infection site as well as the primary target of microwave heating. Although heating uniformity is still an issue in a single-mode waveguide waveguide, device that controls the propagation of an electromagnetic wave so that the wave is forced to follow a path defined by the physical structure of the guide. , a properly oriented egg rotating in the microwave field is mostly uniformly heated. Various parts of the egg would heat well, but not all at one location within the applicator ap·pli·ca·tor n. An instrument for applying something, such as a medication. applicator, n a device for applying medication; usually a slender rod of glass or wood, used with a pledget of cotton on the end. . This meant that researchers would have to move the egg within the applicator or design multiple applicators to be used in series. Better yet, a more sophisticated applicator design may allow the egg to stay still, or allow motion in only one dimension, so that eggs could "flow" through the process without stopping. Ultimately nothing should preclude the use of microwaves in this capacity and any issues can be resolved with the proper engineering of the process. Further information. Gregory Fleischman, National Center for Food Safety and Technology, Illinois Institute of Technology Illinois Institute of Technology, in Chicago; coeducational; founded 1940 by a merger of Armour Institute of Technology (founded 1892) and Lewis Institute (1896). , Moffett Campus, 6502 S. Archer Rd., Summit-Argo, IL 60501; phone: 708-728-4122; fax: 708-728-4177; email: gregory.fleischman@fda.hhs.gov <mailto:gregory.fleischman@fda.hhs.gov>. |
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