Liquid whole egg fractionation: Effect of centrifugation on physicochemical attributes of quality

Abstract

Pasteurized liquid whole egg was fractionated by centrifugation. Several studies showed the composition of plasma and granules that can be obtained by egg yolk centrifugation. However, few studies deal about liquid whole egg fractionation. In this work, the effect of operational conditions (relative centrifugal force—RCF, time, and temperature) on the physicochemical quality of plasma and granules was evaluated. These fractions were compared with liquid whole egg as control. The physicochemical parameters analyzed were fractionation yield and ratio, pH, water activity (aw), and color (L*, a*, b*, chroma, and hue). The plasma yield obtained ranged from 75.10% to 84.44% while the granule yield varied from 8.16% to 15.00%. Equations to forecast fractionation yield and ratio were developed. For example, the best conditions for high plasma recovery are 8,000 g for 10 min at 4°C; where the P/G ratio and plasma yield estimated are 91.08% and 84.64%, respectively. While only a granule yield of 7.88% is expected. Prediction models were also obtained for pH and color. No significant differences were detected for aw. However, significant differences were detected in color between whole egg, plasma, and granules. Practical applications This work provides a database and equations that could be used for the fractionation by centrifugation of liquid whole egg to obtain new products with improved functional properties.