Rheological properties of liquid egg products (LEPS)

Abstract

Rheological properties were determined at 4°C (refrigerated temperature), 25°C (room temperature), 60°C (pasteurization temperature) for liquid whole egg (LWE) and liquid egg yolk (LEY) and 4, 25, 55.6°C for liquid egg white (LEW) by using concentric cylinder viscometer. The shear rate range was 8 to 53.7 s-1 for LEW and LWE, and 1 to 34 s-1 for LEY. Selected physical properties (e.g., density) of LEPs were studied at broad range of temperatures from 4°C to 60°C. All liquid egg products (LEPs) exhibited mildly shear thinning (pseudoplastic) behavior. Experimental data of LWE and LEW successfully fitted Herschel-Bulkley model, LEY data were well described by power law model. LEW and LWE showed thixotropy and time-dependency at their pasteurization temperatures (55.6°C for LEW, 60°C for LWE) and considered being time-independent below these temperatures. LEY exhibited time-dependent behavior at 4°C and 60°C. But its rheological behavior showed no thixotropy and time-dependency at room temperature. The density of all three products decreased with increasing temperature. Density data were correlated by polynomial models (r2 > 0.99).