Nonthermal Magnetic Field Processing of Egg Yolk: A Novel Alternative to Conventional Pasteurization

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of magnetic field application as a sustainable hurdle technology with minimal adverse biological effects and no toxic effects in ensuring the microbiological safety of liquid egg yolk. Additionally, the effect of applied magnetic fields on the stability of liquid egg yolk, as well as its physicochemical and technofunctional properties, has been investigated. A magnetic field was applied to the yolk under two distinct intensities and durations, and the samples were maintained for 21 days. The physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of the processed and raw samples were compared throughout the study period. The implementation of magnetic fields decreased the pH, water activity, firmness, cohesiveness, color values, and microbiological outcomes of the samples. Conversely, they showed an upward effect on brix, emulsion stability, consistency, and viscosity index values. On the final day of storage, samples subjected to a 240 mT magnetic field intensity for 60 min exhibited the lowest recorded values: pH (6.10), water activity (0.810), firmness (10.61 g), cohesiveness (−4.22 g), L * (33.52), a * (1.01), b * (18.96), and total counts of aerobic mesophilic bacteria (1.21 log cfu/g), aerobic psychrophilic bacteria (1.09 log cfu/g), total coliform group bacteria (0.34), and coagulase‐positive Staphylococcus species (0.87 log cfu/g). Conversely, the samples exposed to the same parameters exhibited the highest values: % Brix (46.15), % emulsion stability (85.43), consistency (54.25 g s), and viscosity index (−0.52 g s). Furthermore, both the magnetic field intensity and application duration affected the resultant effects on the products.