Effects of rice protein coating enriched with essential oils on internal quality and shelf life of eggs during room temperature storage

The effectiveness of rice protein coatings enriched with essential oils on maintaining interior quality of fresh eggs was evaluated during storage at 20°C for 6 wk. Egg quality was assessed by weight loss, Haugh unit (HU), albumen pH, and yolk index (YI) in uncoated eggs (control treatment) and eggs coated with rice protein concentrate at 8% enriched or not with different essential oils (1%): tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), copaíba (Copaifera langsdorffii), or thymo (Thymus vulgaris). The HU and YI were higher in coated eggs (P < 0.001). Data were submitted to variance analysis, and the statistical models included the effects of treatments (coating types), storage periods (weeks), and interaction (treatments by storage periods). Weight loss increased (P < 0.001) during long-term storage. Uncoated eggs showed the highest weight loss (5.43%), whereas coatings of rice protein alone (4.23%) or enriched with tea tree (4.10%), copaíba (3.90%), and thymo (4.08%) solutions were effective in preventing weight lost (P < 0.001). The coating use preserved the internal quality of the eggs for up to 3 wk longer than uncoated eggs in terms of HU, YI, and pH. Uncoated eggs had the worst (P < 0.001) HU (58.46), albumen pH (9.48), and YI (0.33) after 6 wk of storage. In conclusion, the use of coatings based on rice protein concentrate enriched with different essential oils influences the internal quality of eggs during storage and may be an effective alternative for increasing the shelf life of commercial eggs.