18 BULLETIN 391^ U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTURE. 



Of the total number of eggs which had been graded by the candle 

 as edible, 69, or 3.4 per cent, were found to contain over 500,000 

 organisms per gram. (See Table II.) Nearly half, or 44.9 per cent, of 

 these eggs, as computed from Tables II, IX, and XIII, were detected 

 when graded out of the shell and eHminated from the composite 

 samples. The remaining 55.1 per cent did not show either by appear- 

 ance or odor that they were infected, and would have been used by 

 egg breakers. A record of the appearance of each of these infected 

 eggs is given in Table X. 



EFFECT OF CONTAMINATED EGGS UPON COMPOSITE PRODUCTS. 



The bacterial contents' of the composite samples prepared from the 

 eggs graded as good were in proportion to the degree of contamination 

 of the eggs constituting them. The percentage of eggs containing 

 bacteria in liquid mixtures composed of 69 to 72 eggs varied from to 

 21.1 per cent, except in two samples which showed 73.2 per cent and 

 100 per cent'. These samples represent lots 41192 and 41645 already 

 discussed as exceptions on pages 4 and 5. The bacterial counts of the 

 composite samples varied from 0, where aU eggs were sterile, to 14,000, 

 000, where the percentage of eggs with bacteria reached 81.3 per cent. 

 (See Table XL) 



The percentage of eggs containing B. coli varied from to 41.8 

 per cent in the different composite samples. The number of B. coli 

 contributed to the composite product by the individual eggs varied 

 from to 500,000 per gram. 



The percentage of ammoniacal nitrogen in the 29 lots of eggs was 

 practically the same as that found in the commercial samples of 

 frozen eggs. (Tables XI and XII.) 



A survey of the bacterial counts given in Table XI shows decided 

 similarity to those obtained in samples from the plants which have 

 been cooperating in this investigation (see Table XII), and which 

 have put into practical appHcation the information obtained in the 

 laboratory. Apparently certain eggs the condition of which can not 

 now be detected by the senses are carriers of bacteria. However, it is 

 very seldom that such eggs cause in the composite sample a bacterial 

 count of more than a few miUions. There is an agreement, also, 

 between the number of B. coli in the commercial samples of well- 

 handled eggs and the number found in the samples reported in this 

 investigation. 



In the cooperating plants the eggs were handled in refrigerated 

 rooms, broken according to a routine involving strict cleanliness, 

 and graded in accordance with the best available information. 

 Faulty grading of the breaking stock either during candling or 

 breaking may result in serious bacterial contamination of the product, 



