Why use an egg-washing machine? More and more users are now employing egg-washing machines, but do you know the purpose of using one?

(1) It is extremely unhygienic to consume dirty eggs directly or use them for processing. The surfaces of dirty eggshells are covered with large amounts of poultry faeces, mucus, litter, weeds, bloodstains and other poultry excreta. These contaminants can adhere to or fall onto shelves, other foodstuffs and kitchen utensils; during the production of egg products, this affects quality and reduces the product’s compliance rate.

(2) Consuming or processing dirty eggs directly poses a high risk of disease transmission. If eggs are not sanitised promptly after laying and are sold directly onto the market, this can easily lead to the widespread transmission of microorganisms and bacteria; eggs collected from poultry rearing facilities are significant carriers of pathogens. These eggs, carrying a vast array of pathogenic bacteria, are purchased by customers via an unregulated distribution chain where no treatment is applied. Throughout this process—involving vehicles, transport crates, shelves, hands, food, refrigerators and the air within households—the environment is thoroughly contaminated by poultry faeces, posing a significant threat to our daily lives. (Egg Washing Machine) Furthermore, due to the physiological characteristics of poultry, in addition to the potential presence of avian influenza viruses, the poultry’s intestines and faeces also harbour large quantities of pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, Newcastle disease and white diarrhoea. Some of these poultry diseases are zoonotic, meaning they can easily spread widely among humans. (Egg Washer)

(3) Unwashed eggs have a short shelf life. Microbes on the shell of unwashed poultry eggs reduce their shelf life; conversely, washed poultry eggs can have their shelf life extended through disinfection, coating with a preservative film and specific packaging methods. Generally speaking, the shelf life of fresh eggs can be extended through washing, disinfection and film coating. In China, the lack of widespread egg-cleaning processing has led to seasonal fluctuations in egg prices; prices are lower during periods of high production and rise when production is low. Such price fluctuations are detrimental to the stable development of the egg market.