ABSTRACT
As a food commodity, the eggshell provides us with a convenient and natural packaging for the transportation of the egg contents. However, eggs are fragile and therefore need to be handled, transported and stored with care. Imperfect, cracked and damaged eggshells not only lead to financial loss but constitute a risk in terms of food safety due to the easy ingress of microorganisms and other agents that may cause spoilage and possibly food poisoning (Bain et al. 2006a). The development of efficient production methods and quality control procedures, including the use of online sensors, is therefore fundamental to ensuring the successful marketing of eggs (Mertens et al. 2011).
