A method for manufacturing a shelf-stable food product is provided. The method may include providing an egg base, providing a hydrocolloid set, providing a fat, homogenizing the egg base with at least the hydrocolloid set and the fat into a batter, sealing a batter portion of the batter into a container, and heating the container. The egg base may have a first ratio of egg white solids to egg yolk solids within a range of 2.25:1 and 4.75:1. A shelf-stable food product made by disclosed methods is also provided. The shelf-stable food product may be enclosed with heat resistant packaging.

A method for decontaminating articles having porous outer surfaces. The method includes steps of: providing a decontamination chamber; conveying the articles through the decontamination chamber at a predetermined speed wherein the speed is selected such that the articles are disposed in the decontamination chamber for a predetermined period of time; providing a source of sterilant vapor, the source providing the sterilant vapor at a temperature within a predetermined acceptable temperature range and at a concentration within a predetermined acceptable concentration range; conveying a sterilant vapor from the source of sterilant vapor to the decontamination chamber; and exposing the articles to the sterilant vapor. The predetermined period of time and the predetermined acceptable concentration range of the sterilant vapor are selected such that the sterilant vapor does not penetrate the porous outer surfaces of the articles.

There is a process which can pasteurize in-shell chicken eggs to inactivate pathogens when present which includes all strains of salmonella and all strains of viruses that historically have been known to exist within chicken eggs and currently are known to be evolving into new and separate strains which may cause large quantities of human illnesses unless countermeasures are developed and employed. One such countermeasure is provided through pasteurization of the subject in-shell eggs through pasteurization involving concurrently a secured environment together with a protocol which enables total inactivation of the targeted pathogens whether bacterial or viral without risk of recontamination.

A system includes a vacuum chamber, a vacuum source, and a mixture flow path adapted to be connected to receive the output of a direct steam injector. The vacuum source is operatively connected to a vacuum port of the vacuum chamber, while a product outlet port from the vacuum chamber is adapted to be connected to an arrangement for removing treated product from the vacuum chamber. The mixture flow path includes a flow path segment outside of the vacuum chamber volume and a flow path segment within the vacuum chamber volume. At least some of a surface defining the flow path segment within the vacuum chamber is in substantial thermal communication with one or more cooling structures.

A system includes a vacuum chamber, a vacuum source, and a mixture flow path adapted to be connected to receive the output of a direct steam injector. The vacuum source is operatively connected to a vacuum port of the vacuum chamber, while a product outlet port from the vacuum chamber is adapted to be connected to an arrangement for removing treated product from the vacuum chamber. The mixture flow path includes a flow path segment outside of the vacuum chamber volume and a flow path segment within the vacuum chamber volume. At least some of a surface defining the flow path segment within the vacuum chamber is in substantial thermal communication with one or more cooling structures.

Radio frequency (RF) energy is used to quickly heat the yolk portion of a shell egg. An anode and corresponding cathode are applied to each individual egg. As the egg is selectively and systematically rotated, RF energy and a stream of cooling fluid (preferably water) are simultaneously applied to the egg. This initiates pasteurization of the egg yolk while maintaining a low temperature in the heat-sensitive albumen (egg white) thus preventing denaturation of the albumen. Immediately after the RF yolk heating process, the egg is placed in a hot water bath designed to rapidly pasteurize the albumen as well as to minimize heat loss from the yolk and pasteurize any portion of the yolk that is not already pasteurized through the RF yolk heating process.

Some embodiments are directed to a process for treatment of white liquid egg from chicken eggs or similar, including the steps of shelling the eggs so as to get a specific quantity of white liquid egg; filtering and immediately cooling the white liquid egg at a temperature in a range determined keeping the liquid inside a closed and agitated tank; heat treating by pasteurization the white liquid egg within a determined time interval by the shelling step with deaeration of the liquid and with addition of carbon dioxide; and performing a biochemical treatment of the white liquid egg in conditions of controlled temperature within a sterile tank with subsequent final storage at room temperature.

There is a process which can pasteurize in-shell chicken eggs to inactivate pathogens when present which includes all strains of salmonella and all strains of viruses that historically have been known to exist within chicken eggs and currently are known to be evolving into new and separate strains which may cause large quantities of human illnesses unless countermeasures are developed and employed. One such countermeasure is provided through pasteurization of the subject in-shell eggs through pasteurization involving concurrently a secured environment together with a protocol which enables total inactivation of the targeted pathogens whether bacterial or viral without risk of recontamination.

A system includes a vacuum chamber, a vacuum source, and a mixture flow path adapted to be connected to receive the output of a direct steam injector. The vacuum source is operatively connected to a vacuum port of the vacuum chamber, while a product outlet port from the vacuum chamber is adapted to be connected to an arrangement for removing treated product from the vacuum chamber. The mixture flow path includes a flow path segment outside of the vacuum chamber volume and a flow path segment within the vacuum chamber volume. At least some of a surface defining the flow path segment within the vacuum chamber is in substantial thermal communication with one or more cooling structures.

A system includes a vacuum chamber, a vacuum source, and a mixture flow path adapted to be connected to receive the output of a direct steam injector. The vacuum source is operatively connected to a vacuum port of the vacuum chamber, while a product outlet port from the vacuum chamber is adapted to be connected to an arrangement for removing treated product from the vacuum chamber. The mixture flow path includes a flow path segment outside of the vacuum chamber volume and a flow path segment within the vacuum chamber volume. At least some of a surface defining the flow path segment within the vacuum chamber is in substantial thermal communication with one or more cooling structures.