Abstract: Salmonella is one of the most common pathogens causing foodborne diseases. Eggs and egg products are important food vehicles for its transmission. Among the many serotypes of Salmonella, S. enterica serovar Enteritidis has a unique advantage in surviving egg white because of its resist to antibacterial molecules in egg white, which can lead to food poisoning. In recent years, the survival strategies of S. enteritidis serovar Enteritidis in egg white have been explored by using molecular biological techniques such as transposon mutations, in vivo expression, high-throughput sequencing and omics, and some key metabolic pathways and stress resistance-related genes/proteins have been discovered. However, the function of stress resistance-related genes has not been fully revealed, and there is a lack of a comprehensive summary of the existing research. Therefore, the current situation and transmission routes of Salmonella contaminated eggs are briefly introduced in this review. Furthermore, the latest progress in research on the survival mechanism of S. enteritidis serovar Enteritidis in egg white is summarized from the perspectives of nutrient availability, membrane stress response, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage repair, alkaline pH adaptation, osmotic stress response and energy metabolism. Finally, the biological control methods for Salmonella are summarized, including vaccines, bacteriophages, and probiotics. Meanwhile, future research directions are discussed. This article will provide an important reference for effective control of Salmonella in eggs and egg products.

Key words: Salmonella; eggs; survival strategies; prevention and control measures; food safety