Selected Post-Heating Properties of Microwave or Hot Water Heated Egg White for In-Shell Pasteurization

Heat treatments adversely affect the functional properties of the egg white. The selected properties of egg white after in-shell pasteurization by microwave heating were compared to that of egg white after in-shell pasteurization by immersion in hot water. The effects of the heat treatments on egg white enthalpy of denaturation, viscosity, turbidity, foam density, and stability, and also the dielectric properties, were investigated and compared to that of untreated egg white. Results demonstrated that microwave pasteurized in-shell eggs had nearly 20% higher enthalpy of denaturation, 4 times more viscosity, 50% more stable foam with 30% less foam density and 78% clearer, on an average, when compared to the water bath pasteurized ones.