Usage

Ingredient especially for the commercial food processing industry.

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Availability 

30 lb container and 4, 5, 8, 10 lb pouches or waxed plastic cartons
Commercial - 25 and 50 lb boxes, 150, 175, and 200 lb drums.

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Advantages 

Long shelf life, functionality, variety of blends.

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Processing Overview

Shell eggs are washed, rinsed, sanitized, and candled, then broken, monitored for quality and imperfections, and yolks separated from whites by automation. Separation is not necessary if whole eggs are being processed. Egg products are then clarified, filtered, pasteurized and filled into containers and frozen at –10° to –40°F (–23.3° to –40°C).

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Egg yolks and whole eggs generally must be mixed with sugar, salt, or other edible ingredients such as corn syrup, phosphates, or other carbohydrates, to prevent gelation (increased viscosity) caused by the lipid portion of the lipoproteins in the freeze-thaw cycle. (When the protein molecules interact with each other upon thawing, they form insoluble aggregates that make thawed yolks gel-like and gummy.)

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Gelation of the yolk or whole egg may be prevented by homogenization and the addition of about 10% sucrose or sodium chloride prior to freezing. Some egg white products contain an ester-type whipping agent such as triethyl citrate.

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Added Ingredients

Citric acid may be added to some yolk or whole egg products to prevent greening.

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Storage

Stored at 0° to –5°F (–17.8° to –20.6°C) frozen eggs can be held for years.

Defrost only as much as needed, in unopened containers, in refrigerator or under cold running water.

Use defrosted product immediately, or store refrigerated for no longer than three days.

With extended storage, some physical changes like coagulation of certain protein fractions of egg whites or gelation of the yolk, may occur.

Frozen eggs cannot be refrozen once thawed. Store thawed eggs at the coldest possible refrigerator temperature (40° to 45°F, 4.4° to 7.2°C).

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