Microbial Quality, Safety And Storage Of Eggs

Over the past decade, the scientific community has witnessed significant advances in egg quality and safety research. Table eggs are rarely implicated in the transmission of viral foodborne disease, but nontyphoidal Salmonella spp. have been a significant focus of egg safety research. Cold storage also helps limit bacterial replication on and in eggs. However, in many countries, there are no prescriptive guidelines on egg storage in the retail market. The risk of foodborne virus transmission via table egg is low, but given the increase in cage-free egg production, there is an increased risk of fungal contamination. Probiotics or vitamins supplementation can improve the egg defence by altering the caecal microbiota, although how indicator bacteria related or influenced by egg quality are is yet to be investigated.