received by the International Bureau on 21 June 2019 (21.06.19)

The claimed invention is:

1. A method for sanitizing eggs comprising:

applying a photoactive sanitizing agent to the shell of an egg; and

illuminating the egg with a radiant dose of a light having a wavelength that activates the photoactive sanitizing agent;

wherein the radiant dose of the light illuminating the egg is sufficient to reduce a pathogen population on the egg;

wherein the wavelength of the light is in a range of 345 nanometers (nm) to 385 nm or 390 nm to 420 nm.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sanitizing agent is titanium dioxide or a derivative of titanium dioxide.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sanitizing agent is protoporphyrin IX or a derivative of protoporphyrin IX.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sanitizing agent is selected from the group of porphyrins chlorins, bacterio-chlorins, and phthalocyanines, synthetic dyes, phenothiazinium salts, rose bengal, squaraines, BODIPY dyes, phenalenones, transition metal compounds hypericin, hypocrellin, riboflavin, curcumin, fullerenes, quantum dots, and genetically encoded proteins.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying a photoactive sanitizing agent to the shell of an egg includes applying a potentiator to the shell of the egg.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the potentiator is selected from a group comprising: sodium azide, potassium iodide, and an alkali metal halogen compound.

7. The method of any one of claims 1 through 6, wherein the radiant dose is at least 30 Joules pel- square centimeter (J/cm2).

8. The method of any one of claims 1 through 6, wherein the radiant dose is in a range between 2 and 500 J/cm2.

9. A method of sanitizing eggs, comprising:

providing an egg that contains an endogenous photoactivated sanitizing agent; and applying a light of a certain wavelength to activate the sanitizing agent and at an intensity that reduces a pathogen population on the egg;

wherein the wavelength of the light is in the range of 390 nm to 420 nm.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the eggs are on a collection belt in an egg laying facility during the providing and applying steps.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: pretreating the eggs prior to applying the light.

12. The method of claim 1 1, wherein the pretreatment is a treatment with steam, heat, a sanitizing agent, chlorine, bleach, hydrogen peroxide, or ultraviolet C (UVC) light.

13. The method of any one of claims 9 through 12, wherein the intensity is at least 30 Joules per square centimeter (J/cm2).

14. The method of any one of claims 9 through 12, wherein the intensity is in a range between 2 and 500 J/cm2.

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