Egg loaf and changes in its quality during storage

Whole liquid egg was homogenized and mixed in a Hobart mixer with optimized quantities of spices, potato, common salt and refined wheat flour. This mixture was steamed to obtain egg loaf which was cooled and sliced. The slices packed in polyethylene bags were stored in a refrigerator at 4 ± 1 °C for 11 days. The loaf slices contained about 65% and 53% (w/w) moisture, 5% and 13% (w/w) fat, 12% and 15% (w/w) protein and 1% and 2% (w/w) ash before and after frying respectively. Free fatty acid (FFA as oleic acid) increased from 2.2% to 8.4% and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values from 0.42 to 1.0 mg malonaldehyde/kg loaf during storage of slices for 11 days. The FFA values were, however, significantly (P⩽0.05) lower in fried samples compared to unfried ones. Standard plate counts increased from 2.2 (on 0-day) to 4.2 (on 7th day) and to 6.5 log cfu/g (on 11th day). Spores, yeast & moulds and psychrotrophs could not be detected in the fresh (0-day) samples. Spores and yeast & moulds gradually increased to about 2 log cfu/g and psychrotrophs to about 4 log cfu/g on 11th day of storage. Egg loaf slices were judged acceptable when stored at 4 ± 1 °C for 7 days as indicated by sensory quality scores of 7.5–8.1 (on 9-point hedonic scale).