The effect of edible eggshell coatings on egg quality and consumer perception

Effects of the various coatings (whey protein isolate, chitosan and shellac) on fresh eggs quality were evaluated based on the interior quality and sensory evaluation during 4 weeks of storage. During storage, all egg weights and albumen heights decreased and albumen pH increased. The lowest weight loss (0.75%) was observed in shellac-coated eggs. Eggs coated with chitosan and whey protein also had significantly lower weight loss than uncoated (UC) eggs (p < 0.05). The albumen pH of the UC eggs was significantly higher than that of coated eggs and increased during storage time. The Haugh unit and yolk-index values of all coated eggs were significantly higher than those of UC. Among the coated eggs, the shellac eggs had the highest value of Haugh unit and yolk index. Chitosan and shellac effectively maintained grade 'A' eggs for at least 2 weeks more than control and I week more than whey protein isolate. On the basis of sensory evaluation, shellac has highest glossiness, but lowest general acceptability. Eggs coated with whey protein had significantly higher general acceptability. Yolk lightness (L*) (a*) and (b*) of coated eggs were not different from UC after 4 weeks. The Delta E*(ab) values of color differences were similar to controls. The study demonstrated that various coatings improved the shelf life of eggs. (c) 2005 Society of Chemical Industry.