Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The main focus of any egg-cleaning method should initially be clean nest boxes. It is much
easier to produce clean eggs than to clean dirty eggs. Eggs are porous, and improper washing
can actually introduce contaminants. Consumers perceive organic eggs as safer and cleaner
than conventional eggs, but this cannot be true if they come in from the field caked with mud
and manure—especially if improperly washed.
Most small producers clean eggs by hand, while larger operations find it more economical
to use egg washing machines. When cleaning by hand it is important to follow some basic rules
to maintain egg quality and safety.
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1. Wash eggs as soon after collection as possible.
2. Dry clean mildly dirty eggs with sandpaper, steel wool, or loofah.
3. If eggs are very dirty consider using them for another purpose.
4. Wash and rinse water should be 90°F-120ºF—at least 20 degrees warmer than the eggs. Between
110°F and 120ºF is best since this temperature causes the egg to expand and prevent entry of any
microbe-contaminated water through the shell pores.
5. Wash water
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include an unscented, non-foaming detergent (check with the organic standards
before adding anything).
6. If an immersion-wash machine is used with baskets or flats, change water often.
7. If eggs are hand-cleaned individually, use paper towels or bleach-washed cloths that are changed
frequently.
8. Presoak only briefly before washing.
9. Prepare a very dilute solution of bleach for rinsing and sanitizing.
10. Use chlorine test strips to test solution for 50 to 200 ppm of free chlorine.
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11. Allow eggs to air-dry before packing.
Brown Shells
In the United States, the public perception is that an organic egg is a brown egg. Thus it be-
hooves most farmers who produce shell eggs to maintain good shell color. This can initially be
done of course by selecting varieties of hens that are known to produce dark-shelled eggs.
However, even brown-egg layers can lay pale, almost white eggs due to a variety of factors.
Birds tend to lay paler eggs as they age, and many small producers keep their birds for several
cycles. Diseases such as infectious bronchitis, Newcastle disease, avian pneumovirus, egg-drop
syndrome, heavy parasite infestation, or stress can also cause a loss of shell color.
By far the most interesting cause for the loss of eggshell color is known as white-egg syn-
drome. In the UK this problem has been discussed for years among free range producers who
