Preserving the Internal Quality of Quail Eggs Using a Corn Starch-Based Coating Combined with Basil Essential Oil

The objective of the study is to evaluate a new proposal for a coating based on corn starch (CS) enriched with basil essential oil (BEO) to overcome the rapid deterioration of quail eggs under nonrefrigerated conditions. One hundred and seventy-one quail eggs were divided into treatments of uncoated eggs (control), eggs coated with CS, and eggs coated with CS/BEO, and analyzed over four weeks at room temperature. The CS/BEO coating reduced the growth of total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, molds, and yeasts on the surface of eggshells to <2 log(10) CFU/mL compared to the control treatment at week four storage. The average Haugh unit (HU) of the four weeks of storage of the CS/BEO treatment was notably higher compared to the control. There was no significant difference between the sensory parameter scores of coated eggs and control treatment. Based on the findings, the CS/BEO coating can be used to mitigate the contamination of quail eggs and preserve their internal quality when stored in an environment without temperature and humidity control.