PRESERVATION OF EGGS BY COLD STORAGE. 38 
The amount of ammoniacal nitrogen 1 in samples of April and May 
storage eggs graded as edible by candling and breaking was found to 
be initially from 0.0012 to 0.0021 per cent on the wet basis, and to 
increase gradually during storage to about 0.0030 per cent in Novem- 
ber or December, that is, the seventh or eighth month in storage, 
and to remain nearly stationary or even to rise slightly until the end 
of March, the close of the storage period (Tables 12 and 13). Sum- 
mer eggs entering storage with the same degree of freshness as the 
spring eggs showed practically the same increase during the same 
period of holding. In samples having a high initial percentage of 
ammonia, for example, Experiment 41923 in Table 13, the slowing 
down in the production of ammonia seemed to occur sooner than in 
the case of the better quality eggs. This may, perhaps, be explained 
by the chemical change which took place before the eggs were stored. 
The amount of ammoniacal nitrogen in the summer firsts and seconds 
was less consistent during the different months of storage than in the 
spring eggs. This may be explained by variations in quality between 
different cases in the same lot, a condition of frequent occurrence in 
summer shipments. There was very little difference in ammoniacal 
nitrogen in samples prepared from cracked eggs and those from eggs 
with whole shells sorted from the same lot. The evidence seems to 
show that even though the loss in unmarketable eggs varies with 
different classes, such as clean, dirty, and cracked eggs, if the eggs 
initially have the same interior quality, those that do keep show 
practically the same degree of preservation, judged by physical 
appearance and the amount of ammoniacal nitrogen present. 
Pennington, Hendrickson, and collaborators 2 found that during 
a storage period of six months there was no change in the dextrose 
in eggs, provided they were not infected with bacteria. In unpub- 
lished studies by these investigators, it was found that even up to 10 
months storage the dextrose content remained constant. 
ABSORPTION OF FOREIGN FLAVORS DURING STORAGE. 
It has been found that under commercial conditions a character- 
istic unpleasant flavor, commonly termed the "cold storage taste," 
develops in eggs which have been held in cold storage for several 
months. It is especially noticeable when the eggs are soft boiled or 
poached. The flavor is not as marked in the white as in the yolk 
which contains a large percentage of fat. It is known that fats 
have an affinity for odors and flavors. The facts indicate that the 
"cold storage taste" is due to the absorption of surrounding odors. 
When closed the storage room itself has some odor, as have also the 
1 The determinations of ammoniacal nitrogen in these samples were made by G. C. Swan, according to 
the methods described in the Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, Vol. 10, No. 8, p. 614, 
August, 1918, "Determination of Loosely Bound Nitrogen as Ammonia in Eggs," by N. Hendrickson 
and G. C. Swan. A forthcoming publication will give the bacterial findings, also determinations of ammo- 
niacal nitrogen in large numbers of individual eggs during various holding periods in cold storage. 
2 Jour. Biol. Chem. (1915) Vol. 20, p. xxi, Proceedings of the American Society of Biological Chemists. 
