Physical and rheological properties of liquid whole egg after treatment of concentrated microwave field (CMF)

Abstract

The influence of selected physical and rheological properties of the egg mass after the treatment of concentrated microwave field (CMF) was analysed in the study. CMF treatment can be generated in the continuous or pulsed way where microwave field is concentrated by a special waveguide. The raw material for the research was fresh hen eggs obtained from Leghorn Brown laying hens at the age of 30-50 weeks. The study investigated the effect of CMF pulses on the raw material, where the variable parameters were intervals between single pulses of 0.5 s, 1.0 s or 1.5 s, as well as 3 different numbers of CMF pulse packets for each of these intervals (5, 7 or 9). In this way, 9 research variants were obtained, not counting the control sample. After completion of the CMF treatment, the temperature of the samples was measured, and then they were cooled down to the temperature of 20 °C, where the analysis of active acidity (pH), color measurements expressed as L*a*b* and viscosity was performed. The results were statistically processed using the analysis of variations, Duncan’s test and the so-called “Response Surface Methodology” with corresponding Pareto charts showing the significance of the analyzed variables and their interactions. It was found that both the amount of energy supplied to the system and the intervals between the CMF pulses for most of the analyzed parameters had a statistically significant effect. The “response surface” models may have practical application, eg in industrial conditions, in determining the impact of individual technological parameters on the final quality of food products, including physical and rheological characteristics.