# Citric Pectin–Cordia verbenacea Bioactive Coatings to Preserve Egg Quality Under Non-Refrigerated Conditions Using Machine Learning Approaches

## TL;DR

This study developed a bioactive coating using citric pectin and Cordia verbenacea extract to preserve egg quality without refrigeration, showing promising results in extending shelf life and safety.

## Contribution

The novel bioactive coating with Cordia verbenacea extract and machine learning models for quality prediction is a sustainable solution for non-refrigerated egg preservation.

## Key findings

- Coated eggs maintained higher Haugh units (Grade B) compared to the control (Grade C) (p < 0.05).
- The 100% extract treatment reduced microbial load on the shell to zero.
- The random forest model achieved 97.06% accuracy in classifying egg quality treatments.

## Abstract

In many developing regions, the lack of a continuous cold chain poses a significant challenge for the preservation of table eggs. This study developed bioactive coatings based on citric pectin enriched with Cordia verbenacea DC aqueous extract to maintain egg quality under non-refrigerated conditions (25 days). A total of 144 fresh eggs were divided into a Control group and five treatment groups with increasing extract concentrations (0% to 100%). Quality was assessed through physical, chemical, and microbiological parameters, supported by principal component analysis (PCA) and random forest (RF) modeling. The results showed that all coated eggs maintained significantly higher Haugh units (classified as Grade B) compared to the control (grade C) (p < 0.05). The microbial load on the shell, a fundamental indicator of sanitary-hygienic conditions, was reduced from 70.0 ± 5.8 CFU/egg in the control to zero in the 100% extract treatment. The RF model achieved 97.06% accuracy in classifying the treatments, identifying microbial load and Haugh unit as the primary predictors of quality. This bioactive coating represents a sustainable and low-cost technology to enhance the shelf life and safety of eggs in markets without refrigeration infrastructure.