**3. Disinfectants based on natural products**

Egg disinfection is a process that seeks to minimize the risk of contamination by microorganisms that can compromise both human health and egg quality, as well as the entire production chain of the poultry industry [23]. The disinfection process must ensure a good application of the disinfectant compound on the eggshell, which must be broad spectrum with the lowest toxicity rate. The mechanism of action must also be fast to avoid the dispersion of pathogenic microorganisms without generating high costs in the productive processes [24]. From the fundamental manufacture to the point of consumption, eggs and their markets must be subjected to control procedures aimed at achieving the appropriate level of defense for public health. An important aspect to consider is the marketing chain where egg collection, handling, storage, and transport must be supervised, either manually or automatically, with time and temperature also being taken into account [25, 26].

Studies have been conducted to determine the penetration of *Salmonella enteritidis* in various types of production systems, where *Salmonella* remains an

### *Natural Products as an Alternative to Formaldehyde for Disinfection of Fertile Eggs… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.112568*

important transmission pathogen [19]. Therefore, many poultry companies are looking for new alternatives to the use of conventional disinfectants to protect fertile and table eggs from bacterial contamination [16]. In the case of fertile eggs, many hatcheries in different parts of the world have used formaldehyde as part of their disinfection routines; however, this element has genotoxic and cytotoxic properties, which can affect humans and chicken embryos, consequently causing irreversible effects from its inhalation. These effects depend mainly on the dose, exposure time, application method, and egg exposure period [27]. The problem with the use of formaldehyde lies in its concentration as a disinfectant, where at least 600 mg/m3 (489 ppm) is required, which represents a high exposure dose for workers [28], thus presenting the main reason to avoid its use in hatchery disinfection routines [16].
