UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



BULLETIN No. 56 



fLSfF-ru 



Contribution from the Bureau of Chemistry 

 CARL L. ALSBERG, Chief 



SLr^-'^J-U 



Washington D. C. 



May 11, 1918 



HOW TO CANDLE EGGS. 



By M. E. Pennington, Chief, Food Research Laboratory, M. K. Jenkins, 

 Assistant Bacteriologist, and H. M. P. Betts, Artist. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Introduction J 



Grading of eggs 2 



The egg candle 2 



The structure of the egg 3 



How to hold an egg when candling- 

 What to look for in candling an egg- 

 Classified description of eggs before 

 the candle and out of the shell 



Page. 



12 



INTRODUCTION. 



Ability to candle eggs is becoming more and more important to 

 farmers, merchants, and shippers in the country districts. 



Laws in many States impose a penalty for selling bad eggs and 

 the Federal Food and Drugs Act prohibits the interstate shipment 

 of cases containing substantial percentages of bad eggs, which are 

 held to be adulterated food. Only by candling can a shipper make 

 certain that his eggs comply with Federal, State, and other regula- 

 tions. 



Aside from its value in enabling one to comply with legal require- 

 ments, ability to judge the condition of eggs in the shell has a distinct 

 monetary application and in many sections is simply a matter of 

 economic self -protection for the farmer and the country dealer. The 

 custom of buying eggs on a grading basis is spreading rapidly, and 

 the collectors in the great market centers are becoming much stricter 

 in rejecting inedible eggs, just as consumers are becoming more criti- 

 cal and are refusing to pay for doubtful eggs delivered to them by 

 the retailer. The producer or country shipper who ships uncandlecl 

 eggs runs the risk, therefore, of losing freight charges and packing 

 costs on all inedible eggs, and where such eggs are included may get 



