Development of novel green methods for preparation of lead-free preserved pidan (duck egg)

Pidan, a pickled duck egg, is a traditional Chinese cuisine and generally produced by soaking in metal ion containing strong alkaline solution such as NaOH solution. However, nowadays consumers possess negative perception for using strong alkali in food processing. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to determine the potential of incinerated eggshell powder and alkaline electrolyzed oxidized (EO) water for pidan production rather than harmful NaOH use. This study aims to obtain the optimal physicochemical and sensory qualities of pidan. Various dosing (1–5%) of the incinerated eggshell powder solution or alkaline EO water was used as a basic pickling solution. Duck eggs were pickled at 25–27 °C for 15–30 days with 3 days of an observation interval. Actual commercial process commonly undergoes for 14 days of ripening, after 25 days of picking process with incinerated eggshell powder or EO water. Results showed that physicochemical and sensory attributes of pidan obtained by incinerated eggshell powder solution and alkaline EO water were not significantly different (P < 0.05) from the commercial product. This study reports a cost-effective and green alternative method for pidan processing by replacing costly NaOH without compromising their physico-chemical and sensory attributes.