Efficacy of sweet potato starch-based coating to improve quality and safety of hen eggs during storage

Egg deterioration occurs during storage time, which leads to quality loss. Thus, different preservations methods have been used to extend the shelf-life and maintain the safety of eggs. Edible coating materials based on biopolymers, such as starches and other renewable sources, have been used for different food products and been identified as an effective method of food preservation. In this study, eggs were coated with edible coatings prepared from sweet potato starch (SPS) and varying levels of thyme essential oil (TEO), including 0 (control), 2%, 4%, and 6%. The quality and safety of the coated and uncoated eggs during five weeks of storage at 25 °C were studied. The application of 4% TEO in SPS-based coatings maintained the quality and safety of eggs two weeks longer than non-coated eggs. This study showed that the SPS-TEO coating could be useful in extending the shelf life of eggs during storage time, by delaying changes in egg quality.