Kolkata, Jul 27 (IANS): Paper trays coated with silver nano-particles can extend the shelf-life of eggs by up to two weeks, research conducted by an Indian scientist says.
The development is meant to help eggs stored in village farms to stay for longer periods and be sold without compromising on quality.
"It is a concoction made of silver, gelatin and chitosan and you could either paint the paper trays or spray them. You can store the eggs after the spray dries," Gopal Dhinakar Raj of the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) in Chennai, told IANS.
Published in June, the study points out the "strong antimicrobial activity of the silver nanoparticles doped trays against commonly found bacteria on egg shells".
The reduced surface contamination raises the shelf-life from 14 to 30 days, he said.
"The cost of application on a six-egg paper tray is around Rs 4-5, with a shelf-life of nine months, which can be recycled," he said.
Though easy to prepare, it can only be applied to paper trays and not plastic trays, Raj said.
The other authors of the study are Kaliyaperumal Viswanathan, M. Latha Mala Priyadharshini, Karuppasamy Nirmala and Muthusamy Raman.