The Impact of Package Type and Temperature on the Changes in Quality and Fatty Acids Profile of Table Eggs during Their Storage

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the possibility of reducing changes in the quality of consumer hen eggs by storing them in various package type and under various temperature conditions (room and refrigeration). The material consisted of 960 chicken eggs packed in cardboard or plastic boxes, 10 pcs in each. Half of the packages were stored at room temperature (21 °C), the rest in the refrigerator (5 °C). The eggs were stored for 28 days qualitatively evaluated at 14-day intervals. The characteristics of whole egg (weight, specific weight, proportion of morphological elements, air cell depth) as well as of shell (weight, color, crushing strength, thickness, density, water conductivity), albumen (height, Haugh units, weight, pH) and yolk (weight, color, pH) were analyzed. The fatty acids profile of yolks was also evaluated as a freshness indicator. Packaging types available on the market, apart from its marketing and eggs protection function, can also influence the quality and stability of the product during storage. The use of plastic boxes can help to maintain higher eggs quality during the storage period, even after a significant extension of the storage time. Eggs stored in plastic boxes at room temperature had very similar results to those stored under refrigeration using conventional cardboard boxes. This effect is probably related to the lower permeability of plastic boxes in comparison to cardboard ones, but detailed research work in this direction is necessary to verify this relation.