14 BULLETIN 391, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUEE. 



Table VI. — Relation of bacteria in eggs to position of yolk — Continued. 

 III. EGGS CONTAINING ORGANISMS FERMENTING LACTOSE BILE. 



Position of yolk. 



Number 

 examined. 



Number 

 positive. 



Per cent 

 positive. 



■Prpfi moving .... 



1,735 



236 



9 



48 

 7 

 1 



2 76 



Settled 



2 97 



Addled or adherent 



11 11 









Total 



1,980 



56 



2 7 







DESCRIPTIONS AND BACTERIAL COUNTS OF EGGS GRADED OUT OF 



THE SHELL. 



The fitness for food purposes of eggs sold in the shell is determined 

 in the industry principally by candling. In addition to this exami- 

 nation, the progressive concerns which are preparing frozen and desic- 

 cated eggs grade each egg very carefully out of the shell according 

 to its odor and appearance. Practically all of the cooperating houses 

 used clear, ,uncolored glass cups in examining the eggs to facilitate 

 grading, as the physical condition of an egg is seen more easily in 

 a transparent than in an opaque container. Many eggs with light 

 green whites are not detected in a metal cup because the container 

 masks the color. 



The system of grading worked out in the cooperating plants was 

 used for the grading of the eggs when removed from the shell. An 

 egg in which the yolk was whole, the albumen clear, and the odor 

 normal was graded as good. If the yolk appeared whole before the 

 candle but broke when dropped into the cup and the odor was good, 

 the egg was graded as fit for food purposes. Any egg in which the 

 yolk had so deteriorated that it was materially mixed with the white 

 was discarded, even though there was no odor, as were also all addled 

 eggs, the advanced stage of this type of egg. Eggs with heavily 

 mottled yolks were graded as bad. (See Plate II.) All eggs in which 

 the yolk clung to the shell, even to a slight degree, all eggs with green 

 whites, and eggs containing diffuse blood or embryos showing blood 

 rings were rejected. Eggs with an unpleasant odor, for example, 

 musty eggs, sour eggs, and very strong eggs — eggs in which the 

 natural odor of the egg is increased — were classed as bad. The 

 descriptions and bacterial findings in the case of a typical lot of 

 individual eggs are given in Table VII. 



Of the eggs in the experimental samples which had been passed by 

 the candlers as edible, 171, or 8.3 per cent, were classed as bad when 

 graded out of the sheU by appearance or odor. Had these inedible 

 eggs been sold in the shell their condition would not have been seen 

 until they were broken by the consumer. They would be eliminated 

 by the trained breaker from frozen products. 



