50 BULLETIN" 224, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Three consecutive samples of "mixed egg" taken from the hose, from the drying 

 belts, and after secondary desiccation, contained 6,800,000, 10,000,000, and 21,000,000 

 bacteria per gram, respectively. The ammoniacal nitrogen in the liquid egg was 

 also high for spring eggs. These results were the exception, for a second sample, 

 liquid mixed egg, had a low percentage of ammoniacal nitrogen and showed 470,000 

 bacteria per gram. Additional specimens of the desiccated product contained not 

 more than 800,000 in four cases and 3,100,000 in a fifth. The results cited are charted 

 in Tables F-I, F-III, and F-IV under visit No. 2. (Appendix, pp. 80, 82, and 83.) 



Four samples taken from cans on the breaking tables gave interesting results, as 

 shown in Table 21. The whites and yolks had a higher bacterial content than is ordi- 

 narily found in spring eggs. The counts of the soft and second-grade eggs were 

 35,000,000 and 27,000,000, respectively, whereas the amount of ammoniacal nitrogen, 

 as calculated on the dry basis, was 0.0084 and 0.0182 per cent, respectively. It will 

 be noticed that, although there were more bacteria in the soft eggs, they did not show 

 as much chemical change as the second-grade product. This can, perhaps, be 

 explained on the ground that even sterile eggs show an appreciable increase in loosely 

 bound nitrogen after long keeping, due, in all probability, to enzyme action. 



Three other samples of the second-grade eggs proved to be heavily infected (27, 47, 

 and 58 million bacteria per gram), as illustrated in Table F-V (Appendix, p. 84) under 

 visit No. 2. Since the water content of this grade of eggs varies with the amount of 

 drip, or albumen contained in it, the chemical results must be calculated on the dry 

 basis before conclusions can be drawn. The percentage of ammoniacal nitrogen in 

 these three samples, thus figured, was practically identical with that found in tanners' 

 egg (0.0111 to 0.0182 per cent). Additional samples of this grade of egg were taken 

 on the next visit. 



Visit No. 3 (June 10 to 15). 



The firm began purchasing its receipts on a quality basis on June 1, 1912, conse- 

 quently shrunken eggs were included in the breaking stock as well as small, cracked, 

 and dirty eggs. The checks constituted 40 per cent of the eggs broken. 



The candlers were doing painstaking work as usual; the girls, as a whole, were 

 breaking the eggs in a remarkably clean manner. The breakers had been instructed 

 to change all apparatus after eggs put into the second-grade product. This precaution 

 was necessary m order to prevent contamination of the No. 1 product, since samples of 

 the second grade taken on the last visit proved to be heavily infected. 



Three series of samples taken at random from the different grades at one breaking 

 table proved, as illustrated in Table 21, that in all but one case whites, yolks, and 

 whole eggs graded as firsts had a low bacterial content. The one exception was 

 sample No. 4511, prepared from eggs not separable into white and yolk. This specimen 

 showed 14,000,000 bacteria per gram and 0.0029 per cent ammoniacal nitrogen on the 

 wet basis. These results are higher than those ordinarily found in food egg and 

 indicate the presence of eggs which should have been put into the second-grade 

 product. The latter, as given in Table F-V (Appendix, p. 84) and Table 21, showed 

 deterioration, both bacteriologically and chemically, as would be expected from the 

 low quality of the eggs used. These results, with the exception of sample No. 4511, 

 indicate that the grading in the breaking room was being done fairly well. 



Samples taken from component parts of the second-grade product gave the following 

 results: 47,000 and 1,900,000 bacteria per gram in two lots of drip; 210,000,000 in whites 

 and 26,000,000 in yolks of eggs with light-green albumens; and 440,000,000 in "begin- 

 ning sour " eggs. The latter contained an amount of ammoniacal nitrogen comparable 

 with that found in tanners' egg. These data amply explain the cause of the low 

 quality of the second-grade eggs. 



Two samples representing 400 pounds of commercial liquid yolks had less than 

 500,000 organisms to the gram. An examination of similar yolks, before and after 

 secondary drying, showed the astoundingly high counts of 110,000,000 and 95,000,000, 

 respectively. A third sample had a similar bacterial content. A laboratory exam- 

 ination of mixed egg from the churn disclosed 1,000,000 organisms to the gram; the 

 same test applied to nine samples of dried mixed egg proved that 44.4 per cent of the 

 counts were 39,000,000 or over. These results point conclusively to multiplication of 

 bacteria during the process of desiccation. 



Visit No. 4 (July 1 to 6). 



Owing to a shortage in receipts, the firm was breaking firsts in addition to the 

 regular breaking stock. The latter now consisted of 22.1 per cent firsts, 41.5 per cent 

 seconds, and 36.3 per cent checks. 



The firm had elaborated the system of checking the work of individual workers so 

 that the errors of candling were reduced to a minimum. Not only were good eggs 



