15 Nov., 1919.] Egg Pulp and. Cool .Storage. 681 



not disturbed tlirougli soiling, washing, or contact with damp surrounxi- 

 higs. Only the best eggs should be u.sed for storing, aiid new cases with 

 new fillers are desirable. 



Relation' of Month to Storage. 



The best results have been obtained froui early spring eggs, which 

 is accounted for by the fact that almost all the spring eggs are fresh, 

 )iot sbrunken, and have not been exposed to bigli temperatures before 

 storing. Under-grade eggs, thpse which are dirty, small, shrunken, or 

 heated, should be niai'keted at once in the shell. The number of bad 

 «ggs found by candling amongst first-grade spring eggs averaged about 

 one per ease, as compared with six per ease in summer-packed, first- 

 grade eggs. The presence of dirty eggs is attributed directly to over- 

 sieht or carelessness in the initial sorting of the eggs for storage. 



Shrinkage of Eggs, and Absorption of Moisture by Case and Fillers. 



The changes in weight of eggs, case, and fillers were investigated by 

 Mr. Jenkins in three different storage rooms. All weighing was done in 

 the room where the eggs were held, as it was found that the cases and 

 fillers frequently gained in weight if removed to a higher temperature. 

 A sensitive scale was used. First the gross weight was found, then the 

 eggs were transferred to a second case, and the fillers and the case 

 weighed. After weighing, the eggs Avere returned to the original case 

 and fillers, so that the periodical weighings were made on the same 

 cases, fillers, and eggs. In about nine months there was an increase in 

 weight of 9.32 per cent, for the fillers and flats, and 4 per cent, for the 

 •cases, due to absorption of moisture, against a shrinkage in weight of 

 the eggs of about 5 per cent. Most of the moisture absorbed by the 

 <'ases and fillers came from the water evaporating from the eggs. 



Physical and Chemical Changes in Eggs During Cold Storage. 



During the commercial holding of eggs in cold storage the air space 

 increases in size because of the evaporation of moisture; the white 

 becomes thinner, and eventually loses its opalescence. After six or 

 seven months the white usually develops a yellowish tinge. The 

 slightly yellow colour does not destroy the beating quality of the white, 

 nor the porcelain white colour of the resulting froth. The yolk mem- 

 brane weakens slowly, but if the eggs are fresh on storing, most of them 

 can be separated even after storage for eleven months. If the physical 

 condition of the egg is weakened through its being stale, or heated, or 

 both, separation is difficult after it has been held in storage for only a 

 few months. The amount of ammoniacal nitrogen in eggs graded as 

 edible by candling and breaking was found to rise from 0.0016 to 0.0036 

 per cent, after seven months' storage. 



Absorption of Foreign Flavours During Storage. 



A slight flavour is noticed in cool storage eggs when soft boiled or 

 poached. The flavour is not so marked in the white as in the yolk 

 (which contains a large percentage of fat). When closed, the storage 

 room itself has some odour. 



