Egg processing: How we get from shell eggs to egg products
Eggs figure prominently on the menus of commercial restaurants and institutional canteens. They can be used to prepare countless recipes and can also help stimulate chefs’ culinary creativity.
Still, you are more likely to find egg products than shell eggs in food storerooms. Because they deliver a combination of hygiene, convenience and consistent quality, processed egg products represent an important development in the food service sector.
Cocotine, your specialist in liquid egg and other products made from fresh eggs, and a preferred partner of food service professionals, explains the different processing stages that are followed to transform shell eggs into egg products.
The egg value chain and the stages of egg processing
At Cocotine, egg processing is meticulous work that begins at the earliest stages of egg production. Our cooperative brand now counts more than 230 farmers in France, producing high-quality eggs each and every day. We stand by each farmer in their efforts to optimise their operations, providing them with support as they make the move to alternative farming methods like organic, free-range or animal welfare cage-free.
We collect shell eggs from our members and immediately route them to our shelling plant and packaging workshop. After the inevitable stage of breaking the eggs and separating them into whole eggs, egg whites and egg yolks, our raw liquid egg is pasteurised to eradicate any traces of pathogens. It is then packaged in bottles or else temporarily stored before being sent to our various processing sites in France, where it is transformed into cooked egg-based products.
Different types of egg products
We generally differentiate between egg products that have undergone primary processing (fresh or frozen pasteurised liquid egg) and those that have gone through secondary processing (cooked eggs and ready-made products).
Cocotine continues to develop a broad range of egg products for fast food, traditional restaurants, institutional catering, delicatessens, bakeries and pastry shops. Far beyond the liquid egg that serves as the basis for all your culinary creations, our catalogue also features ready-to-use prepared products such as omelettes, scrambled eggs, egg white cubes, 63-degree eggs, and the list goes on. And for restaurateurs who have launched sustainable, responsible initiatives at their establishments, Cocotine also has a selection of organic egg products made from organically farmed eggs.
Cocotine, a brand committed to quality egg products
At Cocotine, we are not just any supplier of egg products: our brand is fully committed to an ethical, responsible approach. Because traceability is a core concern for us, we have implemented a strict process for monitoring our products at every stage of their processing.
Putting an end to our use of cages is a pillar of our commitment to animal welfare. We believe that the quality of egg products is inextricably linked to the quality of life of the laying hens and to respect for their natural needs, which is why we work closely with our cooperative farmers to ensure the birds enjoy good farming conditions, including access to natural light, perches, a winter garden, and so on.
