Egg White Lysozyme 2. Effect of Thermostabilization

Abstract THERMOSTABILIZATION of shell eggs, as originally described by Funk (1943), holds many possibilities as a means to improve and maintain shell egg quality in market channels. The influence of this heat treatment on the physical appearance of firm egg white has been noted many times. However, reports of investigations which attempt to relate this treatment with the destruction of the causative agent or mechanism responsible for egg white thinning have not appeared in the literature. The beneficial effects of thermostabilization are the result of two factors. First, as shown by Bose and Stewart (1948), a definite improvement in the initial albumen index was noted immediately after thermostabilization. The degree of improvement was roughly linear with the time of treatment after production. The second factor deals with the rate of firm egg white deterioration after thermostabilization. Funk (1950) demonstrated that the rate of deterioration of untreated eggs and thermostabilized eggs in …