STORAGE STABILITY OF CABINET DRIED EGG WHITE, EGG YOLK, AND WHOLE EGG POWDERS UNDER ACCELERATED STORAGE CONDITIONS

Abstract

Egg powders are versatile food ingredients valued for their extended shelf life, functional, and nutritional attributes. However, the influence of environmental factors such as relative humidity on their storage stability remains underexplored. This study evaluated the storage stability of three types of egg powders: whole egg powder (WEP), egg white powder (EWP), and egg yolk powder (EYP) under accelerated storage conditions. Egg powders were produced by breaking, homogenizing, drying, milling, and sieving fresh eggs. Samples were stored at ambient temperature (30 ± 2 °C) under 75% and 100% relative humidity for four weeks and analysed weekly for flowability, foaming properties, and colour. The results showed that all powders experienced a decline in quality over time, particularly under 100% RH. EWP consistently exhibited the best flowability and foam performance, while EYP was the most vulnerable to moisture-induced degradation. Colour changes were observed across all samples, with lightness decreasing and redness increasing under prolonged humid storage. In conclusion, relative humidity significantly affects the physical and functional stability of egg powders during storage, and storing under lower humidity is essential to preserving quality. It is therefore recommended that egg powders be stored in cool, dry conditions (ideally 40–60% RH) using high-barrier packaging materials such as aluminium foil laminates or metallized PET to reduce quality loss and extend shelf life.