In an industry where health and safety prevail as consumers’ top concerns, egg washing surprisingly still stands as a time-honored technique to enhance the appearance of baked goods, from pies to bagels to breads. Egg washes, generally composed of egg, milk, and sometimes salt, add shine that draw the consumer’s eye to bakery products. Despite the visual advantage, there has been some speculation as to whether or not they are a health hazard. According to Mark Lofthouse, VP Marketing and Sales for Custom Baking Products, "An open bowl of raw eggs is literally a Petri dish for salmonella, E. coli, and other food-borne illnesses." As an alternative to traditional egg washes, Custom Baking provides Quick Shine, a hermetically-sealed aerosol product made of combination of soy proteins.

"It’s the same concept, just without egg products. No oxygen can reach this product, so you don’t have the threat of bacteria," says Lofthouse. As such, Quick Shine has a much longer shelf life than conventional egg washes, which must be used immediately after being mixed to avoid contamination. "It is a perfect product for someone who doesn’t use egg wash often because you can put it down and pick it up a week later without any problems," explains Lofthouse. Even for bakers who are using egg wash on a regular basis, Quick Shine saves much-needed time and money. "The egg washing process is cumbersome, and there is a tremendous amount of waste, with all of the supplies, mixing, turnover, and cleanup that is involved with it. Once regular egg washes are warm, you have to get rid of them. This is a product made for the modern baker," says Lofthouse.

Of course, Quick Shine functions as a preventative measure, as well. "Some people say, ‘I’ve never had a problem with the sanitation of egg washing before, so why should I worry about it?’ Well, the difficulty with that mindset is that your business might not survive a lawsuit thrown at you for food-borne illness," he says. Even food-industry giants have collapsed to the power of the law in this respect. "It’s a huge risk that can be avoided," Lofthouse explains.

Moreover, the efforts saved while using Quick Shine can be converted to face time with the consumer, or higher volume being produced at your shop. According to Lofthouse, this is one advantage that can set you apart in your customer’s minds and keep them coming back for more. "As a baker, you aren’t in the egg washing business."