COMMERCIAL EGGS IN THE CENTRAL WEST, 



41 



The laboratory data i^iven in Table 1-i show that Jthree of five 

 samples contained less than 1,000 bacteria per gram at 20° C. and 

 the other two 25,000 and 92,000, respectively. In three samples B. 

 coli were not found and in the remaining two they were present in 

 small numbers. Since the bacteriological findings given in Table 4 

 indicate that this grade of eggs, when opened aseptically, is prac- 

 tically sterile and contains no B. coli, it might be concluded that 

 the organisms found in the samples opened in the packing house 

 were referable, for the most part, to outside contamination and not 

 to the eggs themselves. On the basis of this assumption these re- 

 sults will be taken as a standard of comparison in the succeeding 

 discussion of the bacterial contents of other types of eggs. 



The moisture content of four of the five samples of firsts was lower 

 than the amount found in fresh eggs, which result would be expected 

 from the difference in the amount of shrinkage in the two types of 

 eggs. The average percentage of ammoniacal nitrogen, which was 

 taken as the index of protein decomposition, was 0.0020 per cent on 

 the wet basis for summer firsts, compared with 0.0013 per cent for 

 absolutely fresh eggs. These figures show well the difference in 

 quality of the two grades of eggs. 



Table 14. — Jidu and August firsts. 

 [15-dozen lots.] 



No. 



Source. 



Date of 

 collec- 

 tion. 



Total number of bacteria per gram on 

 plain agar incubated at — 



Number 

 of gas-pro- 

 ducing 

 bacteria 

 per gram 

 in lactose 

 bile. 



Percentage of am- 

 moniacal nitro- 

 gen, Folin 

 method. 



Percent- 

 age of 

 moisture. 





20° C. 



37° C. 



Wet 

 basis. 



Dry 



basis. 



4802 

 48L3 

 4966 

 4967 



r5 



F5 

 F6 

 F6 

 F6 



1912. 

 July 22 

 July 23 

 Aug. 13 



...do 



Aug. 15 



Less than 1,000 



25, 000 



Less than 1,000 



Less than 1,000 



92,000 



Less than 1,000 



20,000 



Less than 1,000 



Less than 1,000 



1,000 



10 

 

 

 100 

 



0.0022 

 .0020 

 .0020 



0.0072 

 .0065 

 .0074 



69.59 

 69.14 



■72.84 



4985 



.0019 



.0068 



71. S7 



SECONDS. 



Seconds constitute a large proportion of the eggs used in the 

 frozen and desiccated egg industry. In the spring, before the 

 candling season begins, this grade consists of small, dirty, and over- 

 sized eggs sorted from receipts by inspection. After the first of 

 June, when all incoming eggs are graded according to the condition 

 of the contents, seconds also include shrunken eggs, hatch spots, 

 weak eggs, heavy rollers, etc. 



Since dirty shells during the process of opening contribute a 

 special source of contamination to the liquid eggs, this class of 

 eggs is considered separately in this dissertation. 



