The Effect of Vegetable Oil and Shea Butter Coating on the Physical Characteristics and Protein Content of Chicken Eggs Stored under Room Temperature at Different Storage Length

Chicken eggs are rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals, containing all essential amino acids. They can complement other food proteins with lower biological values. This study explored the effectiveness of vegetable oil (olive oil) and shea butter in preserving the internal quality of eggs under room temperature. Ninety (90) White Leghorn eggs were sourced from the TANUVAS poultry farm and divided into three groups (T1- vegetable oil, T2- shea butter and T3- control) of 30 eggs each. The first two groups received treatments with olive oil and shea butter respectively, while the third served as the control group. The eggs in each treatment group were stored at room temperature for six weeks. Weekly assessment s of the physical and protein content was measured using the Haugh unit and the Biuret Method for protein concentration. The eggs showed less weight loss in the treated groups at T1 (vegetable oil) and T2 (shea butter) compared to the control group (T3). The vegetable oil-coated-eggs maintained their quality more than 43 days compared to those coated with shea butter and the untreated ones. Internally, both albumen height and Haugh unit values decreased over the storage time, with the vegetable-oil-treated eggs retaining quality for the longest duration, followed by the shea butter treated group. Eggs in the control group showed decline in quality after 22 days. Protein levels in the albumen decreased in all groups with storage, but the vegetable oil and shea butter coated groups recorded led to less reduction in protein content than the control group. The study indicates that olive oil and shea butter can effectively preserve the physical and protein content of chicken eggs under different storage conditions, with olive oil demonstrating a greater efficacy upto 43 days. These findings support the use of these natural oils as alternative preservatives for prolong egg storage in regions where refrigeration is not feasible.