EGG PROCESSING SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USING SAME TO EXTEND THE REFRIGERATED SHELF LIFE OF LIQUID EGG PRODUCTS

摘要

A process for producing pasteurized liquid egg product utilizing a vat or tankfor holding raw egg product. The raw egg product is preheated as rapidly aspossible to a temperature of about 60 ~C and then, without holding thetemperature at a constant level, the preheated raw egg is transferred to asuitable package. The package containing the preheated raw egg product is thensealed and heated and maintained at a suitable temperature in order topasteurize the liquid raw egg products in the packages. The heated containersand pasteurized liquid egg product ware then cooled rapidly to a refrigerationtemperature to further inhibit germination of any remaining bacterial spores.The containers are then stored in refrigeration conditions for distributionand use. In another embodiment, an egg product package is preheated to atemperature between about 71 ~C and 55 ~C and then hot filled with a eggproduct treated to about the same temperatures as the package. The hot filledpackage is then sealed and allowed to stand for at least 30 seconds and thenit is rapidly cooled to at least about 5 ~C in a cooling time period of about5 minutes.