November 18/American Society of Agricultural Engineers -- A Purdue University food scientist believes the poultry industry could implement a rapid egg cooling technology to reduce future outbreaks.
Kevin Keener, an associate professor of food science, said quick cooling of eggs after they are laid would significantly reduce the ability of Salmonella to grow inside eggs and potentially keep consumers from getting sick. There are no federal guidelines for how quickly eggs should be cooled, but current industry procedures can take as long as six days to cool eggs to 7°C (45°F), the temperature at which Salmonella can no longer grow. Keener's rapid-cooling technology would take two to five minutes.