i844 



INDUSTRIES DEPENDING ON ANIMAE PRODUCTS 



INDUSTRIES 



DEPENDING ON 



ANIMAL 



PRODUCTS 



1324 - Sterilized Fresh Eggs. — Blin H., in La Nature, Xo. 2244, pp. 221-223. Paris, 



September 30, iqUl 



The production of eggs has become an important industry in Europe 

 and America, the principal producing countries being: 



Annual productions 

 Tons 



United States 800 000 



France 300 000 



Germany 250000 to 270000 



England 125 000 



Denmark 55 000 



It is due to the development of cold storage that the egg trade has 

 increased so largely in the United vStates. In igii, nearly 1000 million 

 eggs were preserved in this way, representing a value of £6 million, and 

 during the same year Russia exported eggs to the value of £ 8 600 000. 

 Such a considerable traffic has only become possible owing to the contin- 

 uous improvements which are introduced in the various processes of 

 preservation and to a strict observance of the following principles : 



1) Only fresh eggs (not more than a few days old) are preserved 

 and these are all tested before storage. 



2) The passage of oxygen and of germs through the shell is pre- 

 vented by avoiding the evaporation of the liquids from within the shell 

 and the consequent production of an air space. 



3) All stale or abnormal eggs are rejected, and the health and food 

 of the birds are carefully watched. 



4) No eggs are preserved in very hot or stornn' weather. 



At the piesent time various processes are currently employed for the 

 preservation of eggs : 



i) Smearing the shells with grease. — Paraffin, vaselin, lard, etc. 

 may be used for the purpose, but the method is an expensive one and is 

 only applicable for home use. 



2) Immersion in a liquid. — Ivime water, brine or waterglass may 

 be employed, but the method is not entirely satisfactory as eggs thus pre- 

 served sometimes have a musty or lime flavour and the shells crack when 

 put into hot water. Moreover the eggs are not sterilized. 



3) Cold storage. — Though representing a great advance on pre- 

 vious processes, cold storage does not ensure perfect preservation as the 

 low temperature does not destroy micro-organisms but merely arrests 

 their development, so that if an egg were infected before being put into 

 storage, it is even possible for putrefactive changes to proceed slowly at 

 1° C. lyosses from this cause frequently amount to 5 per cent. After 

 being stored for 4 months, an egg loses its " new laid " flavour and acquires 

 a taste known as " stale "or " cold stored " ; after 5 months the egg is no 

 longer suitable for boiling and after 8 or 9 months its quality is approxi- 

 mately that of an egg preserved in lime water. As the eflect of a low 

 temperature as a preservative depends so largely on the condition cf the 



