Studies of Variation in Initial Quality of Chicken Eggs

THE RESULTS reported in Part 1 (Skala and Swanson, 1962) of this series do not preclude the possibility that the distribution, concentration, or environment of specific constituents of egg white may influence the broken-out appearance of the albumen through an apparent effect on amount or condition of the middle thick layer of white. Conrad and Scott (1942) compared relatively high and low quality eggs with regard to albumen pH and content of ovomucin, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium. Ovomucin was determined by the method of Conrad and Phillips (1938) as well as by histological techniques. These workers concluded that observed variations in sodium and potassium contents related to quality (Haugh units) were too variable to be the determining factors. Differences in pH, ovomucin, calcium, and magnesium contents were not significant. The ovomucin and tryptophan content of the middle thick and combined thin white layers of high and low quality eggs …