Frozen Egg Products

Frozen egg products are a variety of stable, mixable products with a very long shelf life. They are available packaged in cartons, containers and pails.

Types of products available

• Whole eggs, whites or yolks
• Whole eggs, whites or yolks blended with various ingredients
• Scrambled egg mix

Typical usage

Frozen egg products are a key ingredient for food service and commercial food processing.

Overview of process

Shelled eggs are washed, rinsed, sterilised and candled. They are then broken, separated automatically and checked for quality and flaws. The egg products are then clarified, filtered, put into containers and frozen at –23.3°C to –40°C.

To prevent gelation (increased viscosity) during the freezing and thawing cycle, whole eggs and egg yolks are usually mixed with sugar, salt or carbohydrates. For ease of whipping, some egg white products contain a whipping agent such as triethyl citrate. Sometimes citric acid may be added to yolk or whole egg products to prevent greening.

Storage

Frozen eggs have a very long shelf life and can be stored for years at less than –12.2°C. Defrosted product should be used immediately, and cannot be refrozen. Thawed eggs may be stored at 4.4°C to 7.2°C for no more than three days.