Breakfast eggs don't have to be refrigerated anymore, according to Hormel Foods Corp., the company that nearly a century ago was the first to can ham.
Hormel said Wednesday that it's using a canning technique to put eggs into a new product for people who don't like to spend time making breakfast.
The Austin, Minn.-based company rolled out two non-refrigerated breakfasts containing real eggs that can be prepared in one minute in microwave ovens. One is mixed with bacon, and the other with sausage. Sold under its "Hormel Compleats" brand, the products contain the retail food industry's first "shelf-stable egg."
The egg dishes are prepared in large pressure cookers called retorts, then sealed under pressure to preserve them, just as home-preserved vegetables are. Sealing the product under pressure makes it last longer on the grocery shelf while maintaining flavor, said Jason Baskin, Hormel's senior product manager of microwave meals, in a statement.
Hormel invented canned ham in 1926 and is also the maker of Spam, another canned meat known for its long shelf life. There was no indication from the company of how long the new egg breakfast product will last, however.
The company spent five years developing the technology for the shelf-stable egg, it said.
The breakfast products are expected to retail for $2.18 to $2.99 each, Hormel said. The company also rolled out roasted potatoes and oatmeal products to its microwaveable lineup.
Steve Alexander • 612-673-4553
