15 Nov., 1919.] Egg Pulp and Cool Storage. 679 



eggs are fairly sterile, very few containing bacteria. The ammoniacal 

 nitrogen found in musty eggs is not excessive. 



The cause of niustiness in eggs is unknown. The theory advanced 

 by the trade is that it is due to absorption from surrounding materials. 

 If, however, this is the case, it is difficult to explain why it does not 

 become weaker as the Qg,g ages in the shell in the frozen state ; also why 

 the odour in cakes does not always disappear in baking. Other types 

 of odours do not remain with such persistence. The cause of musty 

 eggs is still unknown. 



Soft Eggs. — These represent a transition stage between edible and 

 inedible eggs. If the yolk breaks, or is found to be broken when the 

 egg is opened, it is necessary to determine whether or not it is fit for food. 

 An egg with simply a ruptured vitelline membrane is not rejected, but 

 if other signs of deterioration, such as whitish streaks in the yolk, or 

 a muddy white, are present, it is not considered edible. Sometimes it 

 is found that the yolk of an egg appears very weak before the candle, 

 and, on breaking, its outline is practically lost because the yolk material 

 has so quickly intermingled with the white. This type of egg is known 

 in the trade as a " running egg," and is discarded. The soft eggs with 

 the whitish streaks in the yolk, and the " running eggs," very closely 

 approximate the degree of physical deterioration found in mixed rots. 

 Soft eggs sometimes have a sour odour, in which case they are heavily 

 Infected with bacteria. The giiiding yjrinciple to be followed in the 

 grading of soft eggs is to reject every egg that has an odour, or a yolk 

 which shows any signs of deterioration other than the rupture of the 

 vitelline membrane. 



White and Mixed Rots. 



The eggs with white and mixed rots, or eggs with the yolk partially 

 or entirely mixed with the white are advanced forms of the soft egg. 

 These eggs are generally recognisable ^before the candle. 



Cool Storage of Eggs in the Shell. 



According tu the United States Bureau of Markets 6.595,850 cases 

 of 360 eggs, valued at $70,487,212 were stored durinsr 1917-18; which, 

 at present rates of exchange, represents over £15,000,000 worth. A 

 careful investigation was carried out by Mr. M. K. eTenkins. Assistant 

 Bacteriologist, on the following lines : — 



(1) The relative keeping quality of fresh, heated, sound, dirty 



and cracked eggs. 



(2) The relation of the month of storage to preservation. 



(3) Efficiency of the commercial grading of eggs for cold storage. 



^4) Analysis of bad eggs developing in commercially-packed eggs 

 during storage. — 



(5) Relation of care in initial grading to the development of bad 

 eggs during storage. 



