Egg safety technology full of potential
system that it claims is capable of eliminating Salmonella and high
levels of avian flu in shell eggs, is looking to roll out its
technology on an industrial scale.
"If a large egg producer were to contact us to work on a large-scale industrial process, then that is something we would look into," communications manager Stejn de Preter told FoodProductionDaily.com "We know we have the technology, and we know how efficient this system is."
Leda's technology ensures that eggs can be pasteurised in the shell and consequently safely stored for long periods of time. The appliance, Pollux, has been independently certified to kill at least 700 million Salmonella bacteria inside shell eggs while not affecting the eggs' composition, appearance, nutritional value, taste or cooking properties.
Pre-programmed settings allow the cook to determine with accuracy to what extent the egg white and/or yolk should coagulate.
"Salmonella is always the focal point of attention when it comes to eggs," said de Preter. "Even when chickens are vaccinated, there is still a risk of Salmonella-positive chickens. That is why we consciously positioned our appliances at the end of the food chain."
But de Preter believes that the technology could be used earlier on in the food chain. "I think that the technology could make a big difference if it was translated into a larger machine," he said. "If our technology was used earlier in the food chain, tainted eggs, and the source of the tainted eggs, could be discovered earlier."
However, de Preter is aware of the need to ensure that recontamination does not occur. R&D work to see how the technology could be successfully applied in food production, rather than just food preparation, is ongoing.
Egg safety is a growing concern. According to the World Health Organisation, at least 40 per cent of reported food poisoning cases in Europe can be attributed to food containing infected eggs, with Salmonella playing a particularly prominent role. And over the past few months, avian influenza has raised fears even further over the safety of poultry products.
As readers of FoodProductionDaily.com will know, the disease has led to the imposition of severe import restrictions on Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Pakistan, China, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. At the end of February, as bird flu surfaced in Texas, the EU halted all poultry related imports from the United States.
Last year's bird flu epidemic in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany led to the cull of 30 million chickens.
