The hot water washing of eggs has been implicated as one source of breakage. A method for
estimating shell stresses during and after washing is outlined in this paper. The problem is posed
mathematically as a coupled thermo-elastic problem which relates the development of internal
pressure to the shrinkage of the shell and the expansion of the inner contents due to heating.
Any internal pressure developed in turn stresses the eggshell. In this study we employ a finite
element method to determine the effectsof various parameters, including: egg size and shape, shell
thickness and permeability, wash water temperature and duration ofexposure.