Method of Washing Eggs

A method of washing eggs by exposing all surfaces of the eggs to a washing spray from a plurality of at least two sprayer units which include a first downstream sprayer unit and a second upstream sprayer unit, in a manner which allows controlling the level of pollutants of the washing fluid supplied to each sprayer unit, comprising the steps of:

• conveying the eggs to be washed along a roller conveyor in a conveying direction from upstream to downstream, while turning the eggs so that all surfaces of the eggs are exposed to the washing fluid at each sprayer unit,
• engaging the eggs with a brush at each sprayer unit, and
• confining the intake, spraying and collection of washing fluid at each sprayer unit to that sprayer unit, with the washing fluid delivered to the second sprayer unit being received from the washing fluid collected at the first sprayer unit, by the following steps:
• supplying washing fluid into the first sprayer unit, causing the washing fluid therein to wash the eggs passing beneath the first sprayer unit and then collecting in a first collector all of and only the washing fluid sprayed from the first sprayer unit, delivering the washing fluid from the first conveyor into the inlet of the second sprayer unit, causing the washing fluid therein to wash the eggs passing beneath the second sprayer unit and then collecting in a second collector all of and only the washing fluid sprayed from the second spraying unit,
• wherein the confining the intake, spraying and collecting of washing fluids at each sprayer unit results in control of the level of pollutants in the washing fluid at each sprayer unit.