Claims
- 1. In a process for preparing a packaged, pasteurized liquid egg product by heating a liquid egg composition consisting essentially of egg white having a population of viable organisms and containing conalbumin and ovalbumin, to a pasteurization temperature and holding the composition at that temperature for a time period effective to reduce the population of viable microorganisms, cooling the pasteurized egg composition, and packaging the egg composition in a sealed container, the improvement comprising:
- heating the liquid egg composition to an elevated temperature of from about 60.degree. to about 75 .degree. C.;
- subjecting the heated liquid egg composition to a first homogenization and adding hydrogen peroxide to the liquid egg composition to form a homogenized egg composition;
- holding the homogenized egg composition at the elevated temperature for a period of time sufficient to pasteurize it, with coagulation of at least 50% of the conalbumin, without significantly coagulating the ovalbumin, to form a dispersion of coagulated conalbumin in a liquid matrix; then
- cooling the dispersion; and then
- homogenizing the dispersion to reduce the size of coagulated particles to an average particle size of less than 2 microns to form a smooth-textured, opaque liquid egg composition;
- to thereby obtain a liquid egg composition which is stable at refrigerator temperatures for at least 30 days.
- 2. A process according to claim 1 wherein hydrogen peroxide is added prior to the cooling step.
- 3. A process according to claim 1 wherein the pH of the liquid egg is adjusted to within the range of from 7.5 to 8.5 and a coagulation-suppressing composition is added to the liquid egg prior to heating, said coagulation-suppressing composition being selected from the group consisting of polyvalent metal compounds, organosulfur compounds, and mixtures thereof.
- 4. A packaged liquid egg composition prepared according to the process of claim 3.
- 5. A packaged low-cholesterol, opaque, smooth-textured liquid egg composition comprising at least 95% egg white containing conalbumin and ovalbumin, comprising at least 50% of the conalbumin coagulated and particulated as a dispersion of finely-divided particles of an average particle size of less than 2 microns in a liquid matrix wherein said ovalbumin is not significantly coagulated.
- 6. A packaged, liquid egg composition according to claim 5 which is stable at refrigerator temperatures for at least 30 days.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/922,126 filed on Jul. 29, 1992, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (12)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
344123 |
Nov 1989 |
EPX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Food Product Formulary, 1974 vol. 2, Tressler and Sultan pp. 374 and 375. |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
922126 |
Jul 1992 |
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