Egg white versus Salmonella Enteritidis! A harsh medium meets a resilient pathogen

•Overview of the antimicrobial activities of egg white against Salmonella Enteritidis.•Critically assessing molecules with suspected or confirmed antimicrobial properties.•Mechanism of antibacterial action of the egg white components.•Potential synergistic behaviours in association with specific environmental factors.•How Salmonella Enteritidis deals with the multifactorial defensive ploys imposed by egg white.

Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis is the prevalent egg-product-related food-borne pathogen. The egg-contamination capacity of S. Enteritidis includes its exceptional survival capability within the harsh conditions provided by egg white. Egg white proteins, such as lysozyme and ovotransferrin, are well known to play important roles in defence against bacterial invaders. Indeed, several additional minor proteins and peptides have recently been found to play known or potential roles in protection against bacterial contamination. However, although such antibacterial proteins are well studied, little is known about their efficacy under the environmental conditions prevalent in egg white. Thus, the influence of factors such as temperature, alkalinity, nutrient restriction, viscosity and cooperative interactions on the activities of antibacterial proteins in egg white remains unclear. This review critically assesses the available evidence on the antimicrobial components of egg white. In addition, mechanisms employed by S. Enteritidis to resist egg white exposure are also considered along with various genetic studies that have shed light upon egg white resistance systems. We also consider how multiple, antibacterial proteins operate in association with specific environmental factors within egg white to generate a lethal protective cocktail that preserves sterility.