Pasteurized eggs tank cleaning
Hello everyone, I have a simple question and I hope someone from the egg industry can help me. A client of mine (pasta company) has these holding tanks for pasteurized eggs from where eggs are transferred by a piping system to a pasta mixer. The whole room and system are kept below 3C. A batch of eggs can be used over 2-3 days. Now, they empty this holding tank every day (transfer the eggs to a clean temporary SS tub), clean the tank and return the eggs. I was trying to find out in the CFIA's Processed Eggs Manual if this is a requirement (daily cleaning of pasteurized eggs reservoirs), but with no luck so far. I believe there is more risk in transferring eggs to another container and returning them back, than keeping them in the original holding tank for a few days without washing. Bacterial load over three days is minimal and I see no reason to continue with a daily cleaning. Is this an industry norm? CFIA requirement? Thanks for the help.
Hi psunjka,
I don't see a reason to do that. We are a bakery using huge amount of pasteurized eggs. I have never heard about such procedures during my audits.
If you have had a clean status and the egg in the tank is within the shelflife I would reduce tranfering and piping to the extent necessary. What would be the status if you refill the egg in a nwely cleaned tank? The Risk for "insterility" is increased by each handling.
Can't they tell why they are doing that? Is the tank flush with filtered air, nitrogen etc? Or might be another reason for doing this procedure?
Rgds
Moskito
Hi Pusnjka
There seems to be no requirements for daily cleaning of storage tank for egg product and in my opinion you are right that the present practices has more chances of contaminating the product than not cleaning the tank every day.
I have pasted a small section from the Egg Processing standard from the New South Wales Food safety Authority ( a regulatory body) to mentioned the storage conditions og Egg and Egg Products
Storage of eggs and egg products Egg processors must maintain daily product and/or air temperature records (e.g. using a thermometer or a continuous data logger recorder) to demonstrate cracked eggs and egg products with at least 80% egg white or yolk, or both are being stored and maintained in accordance with the requirements outlined in Table 5, or if frozen, frozen solid. Temperature measuring devices must be easily accessible and demonstrate accuracy of ± 1°C.
Table 5: Storage temperature requirements Food Storage temperature Justification Cracked eggs < 8°C Code of Practice for the Manufacture of Egg Products (AECL, February 2008) Salmonella is unlikely to grow at < 8°C Egg products with at least 80% egg white or egg yolk, or both. Examples include fresh liquid whole eggs, egg white, egg yolk (i.e. pulp) and scrambled egg mix. ≤ 5°C Standard 3.2.2 of the Food Standard Code.
You can find more details on following link
http://www.foodautho..._processors.pdf
I hope this information is helpful for you.
Kind regards
Dr. Humaid Khan
MD
Halal International Services
Australia
Dear Psunjka
IMO the practice you have told is quite weird; I think that it is for the worse more than for the best.
Maybe the CFIA's Processed Eggs manual refers to pasteurized egg lines where the final product is always packed after the production batch/shift/or production day. I do not know, I am writting from UE
The scenario in your pasta company is slightly different as you as the pasteurized egg production is higher than the pasta production.
In the worse scenario, It is, you are requested to do what you are already doing ( transfering eggs and container cleaning ) I would consider balancing the egg production with the pasta production. A previous study of costs ( workforce, time,water, cleaning products) can be of help. Best regards