16 BULLETIN 846, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



In yolk. — For total solids, 43.87 per cent; for ether extract, 22.74 

 per cent; for ammonia nitrogen, 6.4 milligrams per 100 grams; for 

 acidity of fat, 1.78 cc. N/20 sodium ethylate required per gram; for 

 reducing sugar, 0.29 'per cent. No bacteria were found in the one 

 sample examined. 



In white. — For total solids, 15.54 per cent; for ether extract, 0.03 

 per cent; for ammonia nitrogen, 0.4 milligram per 100 grams; for 

 reducing sugar, 0.55 per cent. No bacteria were found in the one 

 sample examined. 



7. A comparison of the chemical results obtained from fresh eggs 

 (Tables 1, 3, and 4) with those obtained from eggs which had been 

 held in cold storage (Tables 5, 6, and 7), in which there was a progres- 

 sive deterioration as the length of time in storage increased, justifies 

 the statement that cold storage does not preserve eggs in the condition 

 l n which they were when placed in storage, but merely retards decom- 

 position and deterioration and keeps them in a marketable condition 

 for several months. 



8. In sample 5417, ammonia nitrogen of 7 milligrams per 100 

 grams in the case of the yolk (Table 3) and of 1.6 milligrams per 100 

 grams in the case of white (Table 4), together with acidity of the fat 

 in the case of yolk of 2.63 cc. of N/20 sodium ethylate required per 

 gram, when compared with the results already cited for fresh eggs 

 (Tables 3 and 4), are of interest as showing how very perishable the 

 egg is and what great changes in composition take place, even while 

 the eggs are still in the shell, when held for as short a period as 10 days 

 without refrigeration. 



9. In the case of the whole egg samples (Table 2) prepared com- 

 mercially during the month of May from firsts, seconds, cracks, and 

 dirties, which, it should be remembered, had been transported over 

 long distances, the average total solids determination of 27.59 per 

 cent and the average ether extract determination of 10.28 are higher 

 than the corresponding average figures of 26.54 and 10 in the case of 

 the strictly fresh egg samples (Table 1), indicating either a shrinkage 

 due to evaporation or the mechanical loss of some of the more watery 

 white. The average ammonia content figure of 2 milligrams per 100 

 grams and the average acidity of fat figure of 1.80 cc. N/20 sodium 

 ethylate required per gram are higher than the corresponding average 

 figures of 1.5 and 1.49 in the case of fresh eggs, as would be expected, 

 and indicate clearly incipient decomposition. The average figure 

 of 1,500,000 bacteria per gram in these commercial samples, as com- 

 pared with the lack of bacteria in the fresh whole egg samples pre- 

 pared aseptically, results from the fact that the eggs composing these 

 samples were taken from commercial breaking stock and were opened 

 under commercial conditions. 



