Chitosan coating improves shelf life of eggs

Internal and sensory quality of eggs coated with chitosan was evaluated during a 5-wk storage at 25degreesC. Three chitosans with high (HMw, 1100 KDa), medium (MMw, 746 KDa), and low (LMw, 470 KDa) molecular weight were used to prepare coating solutions. Coating with LMw chitosan was more effective in preventing weight loss than with MMw and HMw chitosans. The Haugh unit and yolk index values indicated that the albumen and yolk quality of coated eggs can be preserved up to 5 wk at 25degreesC, which is at least 3 wk longer than observed for the control noncoated eggs. Based on external quality, consumers could not differentiate the coated eggs from the control noncoated eggs. Overall acceptability of all coated eggs was not different from the control and commercial eggs.