Ability of Hydrogen Peroxide and Timsen to Eliminate Artificially Inoculated Salmonella from Fertile Broiler Eggs

Varying levels (10 to 10/egg) of Salmonella Typhimurium were inoculated onto fertile hatching eggs by immersion. After this, the inoculated eggs were untreated (control), water treated, hydrogen peroxide (1.5%) treated, or Timsen treated (n-alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride as a commercial bactericide-fungicide). Hydrogen peroxide was superior to Timsen as an egg treatment to eliminate artificially inoculated Salmonella from fertile eggs, but one-third of the treated eggs remained Salmonella positive. This study demonstrates how difficult it is to eliminate Salmonella that contaminate fertile hatching eggs. Until a more effective system or process is devised and commercially implemented, Salmonella and other organisms will continue to pass from one generation to the next through the fertile egg.