COMMEECIAL EGGS IN THE CENTEAL WEST. 



CHEMICAL COMPOSITION. 



Numerous chemical analyses of fresh eggs have been made in this 

 laboratory in connection with the investigation of the handling of 

 eggs. They extend our knowledge of the composition of the fresh 

 egg, especially in relation to the quantity of loosely bound nitrogen 

 in egg protein; that is, the nitrogen split by the action of a weak 

 alkali and removed for estimation by aeration. This form of ni- 

 trogen occurs in very minute quantity in the protein of the freshly 

 laid egg, and is much increased, though still small in amount, in 

 eggs that have deteriorated. The amount of loosely bound nitrogen 

 is at the present time the best and simplest index that has been found 

 of the chemical stability of the egg. Hence the quantity of this 

 substance has been determined in the various grades and kinds of 

 market eggs and in those used by the egg breakers, as well as in eggs 

 24 hours old. 



The analyses recorded in Table 1 show that most of the loosely 

 bound nitrogen is found in the yolk of the egg, where it averages in 

 western summer eggs of highest quality 0.0023 per cent. Whole eggs 

 of like grade gave 0.0013 per cent as an average. 



Table 1. — Fresh eggs. 



Portion and sample No. 



Date of 

 collec- 

 tion. 



Total number 

 of bacteria per 

 gram on plain 

 agar intubated 

 at— 



Gelatin 

 lique- 

 fyiiig 

 organ- 

 •isms 

 per 

 gram. 



Ammoniacal 



nitrogen, Folin 



method. 



Mois- 

 ture. 



Ether 

 extract. 



Size 



of 



sample. 





20° C. 



37° C. 



AVet 

 basis. 



Dry 



basis. 





White: 



261 



1911. 

 July 14 

 July 17 

 Aug. 21 

 ...do 









Per 

 cent. 

 0. 0004 

 .0003 

 .0004 

 .0003 

 .0003 



.0026 

 .0025 

 .0023 

 .0024 

 .0020 

 .0022 



Per 



cent. 

 10. 0033 

 .0025 

 .0033 

 .0025 

 .0025 



.0050 

 .0047 

 .0043 

 .0046 

 .0034 

 .0042 



Per 



cent. 



Per 



cent. 



Eggs. 

 18 



271 













12 



5S7 













12 



559 













12 



561 



...do.... 













12 



Yolk: 



214 



July 10 

 July 14 

 July 17 

 Aug. 21 

 ...do.... 



150 



S60 



1.30 



47.81 

 46.88 

 46.89 

 47.80 

 47.28 

 47.84 



73.19 

 73. 44 

 72.96 



31.87 



10.86 

 11.28 

 11.40 



6 



260 



18 



270 









12 



556 









12 



558 









12 



560 



..do... 









12 



Whole egg: 



126 



June 26 

 .do 





 



i:,3 



75 







70 





30 



127 . - 









30 



168 



July 3 

 July 10 

 July 14 

 July 17 

 ...do 









36 



212 





.0013 

 .0011 

 .0013 



2.0047 

 .0040 

 .0047 



6 



262 ... 









272 













11 



273 



7 

 45 

 85 







53 

 45 









6 



329 .... 



July 24 

 . -do .. 





.0015 

 .0013 

 .0011 



.0054 

 .0047 

 .0040 









330 









445 



Aug. 4 







24 

















1 Moisture content of fresh egg white taken as 87.94 per cent, average of 236 eggs. 



2 Moisture content of fresh whole egg taken as 72.44 per cent, average of 9 eggs (analyses given in Konig, 

 pp. 98 and 1470, and of three analyses Nos. 126, 127, and 168 given above). 



A number of unpublished analyses of fresh eggs from various 

 sources would indicate a maximum and minimum variation of 0.0010 



