CONDITIONS AFFECTING QUALITY OF EGGS. 9 



ever, be met, and dried eggs or eggs in a frozen condition may be 

 shipped long distances, and require less space for transportation and 

 storage than do eggs in the shell. 



During the past three years there have been examined bacteriolog- 

 ically in the Bureau of Chemistry hundreds of samples of frozen and 

 desiccated eggs collected from shipments entering into interstate 

 commerce. In many instances the bacterial content of these prod- 

 ucts was exceedingly high, and a large proportion of the total bacte- 

 rial content represented fecal organisms of the B. coli and strepto- 

 cocci groups; thus indicating, in the language of the food law (sec. 

 7), that the product is adulterated, since "it consists hi whole or 

 in part of a filthy, decomposed, or putrid animal or vegetable sub- 

 stance." 



The object of this report is to present briefly the data obtained 

 during these investigations and to offer a few suggestions to the 

 trade which may be of value in correcting some of the existing prac- 

 tices and conditions which are at least partially responsible for the 

 unsatisfactory products now found on the markets. 



CONDITIONS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF EGGS USED FOB 

 FREEZING AND DRYING. 



The majority of the large egg-breaking establishments are located 

 within a few hundred miles of their source of supply. In such 

 instances the goods handled usually represent a better grade of 

 material than that obtained as a by-product from the trade in 

 larger cities more remote from centers of handling, where environ- 

 ment, temperature, season of the year, etc., would materially affect 

 the quality of the finished product. 



A large proportion of the eggs used for freezing and drying are pur- 

 chased on the "case count" basis. 1 These eggs maybe received at 

 the factory direct from the farmers or producers ; in a large percentage 

 of cases, however, the eggs used are first sold in small lots by the 

 farmer to the village grocer. 2 They may be marketed wjeekly or 

 more frequently, according to the convenience of either merchant or 

 producer. After a certain tune, varying according to the supply 

 and demand and convenience of the merchant, the eggs fall into the 

 hands of commission agents, who endeavor to dispose of their wares 

 to the best advantage. In most instances the "firsts," or the best 

 eggs from such consignments, are sold in the shell and are not offered 

 to egg-breaking establishments because of prohibitive prices. 

 During the shipment of eggs in carload lots there is usually a cer- 

 tain percentage damaged from rough handling, constituting grades 



i Hastings. The Egg Trade of the United States. U. S. Dept. Agr., Bureau of Animal Industry Cir. 140. 

 2 Indiana Agr. Exper. Sta., Newspaper Bui. No. 177, Apr. 29, 1911, "Improve Indiana Egg Condi- 

 tions." 



42222 Bull. 15812 2 



