ABSTRACT Studies on how washing and storage influence duck egg quality are scarce compared with those on chicken egg quality. The present study investigated the quality of washed and unwashed duck eggs stored at 7 ºC and 25 ºC for 8 weeks. Quality parameters, including Haugh unit (HU), yolk index, thick albumen ratio, albumen pH, and air cell size, indicated that egg quality deteriorated during prolonged storage, and cuticle staining confirmed that washing reduced cuticle coverage. Washed eggs stored at 7 ºC maintained high quality (grade B; HU: 54) according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA, 2000) after storage for 8 weeks, whereas unwashed eggs stored at 25 ºC exhibited a low but acceptable quality (grade B, but HU: 36) after 7 weeks. Strong correlations were observed between the quality parameters evaluated. In conclusion, duck eggs should be washed and then stored at 7 ºC to enhance microbial safety and maintain quality to achieve a shelf life of at least 8 weeks.

ABSTRACT This study investigated the influence of cold chain integrity during postwashing processing and storage on chicken egg quality. Postwashed eggs from a commercial washing plant were assigned to eight groups that simulated the conditions of postwashing temporary storage, transportation, selling, and storage. At each step, eggs were stored at low (7 °C) or high (25 °C or 30 °C) temperatures for a certain period of time to simulate commercial handling. Freshness and microbial characteristics of the eggs were analyzed for 4 weeks. The results demonstrated that eggs stored at low temperatures during all three steps in the cold chain maintained the highest quality. Any interruption of the integrity of low temperature in the cold chain resulted in varied quality deterioration. Therefore, processors and consumers should maintain washed eggs in a cold chain from postwashing until consumption to maintain the quality and safety of eggs.