Effect of Holding Condition on the Development of Salmonellae in Artificially Inoculated Hens’ Eggs

THE contents of the egg as laid by the normal healthy hen are sterile and it is possible that the shell may not be contaminated during the act of laying (Stuart and McNally, 1943). However, the ovaries may occasionally become infected with Salmonellae which may be transferred to the egg contents (Scott, 1930). Consequently, the incidence of Salmonellae on or in shell eggs depends upon three factors: the environmental condition of the eggs, handling and storage, and the physical structure of the shell. Studies have been made on the ability of egg spoilage bacteria to utilize the material of the shell membranes for growth (Stokes and Osborne, 1956; Elliott and Brant, 1957; Garibaldi and Stokes, 1958; Board et al., 1964). Lancaster and Crabb (1953) demonstrated that although bacteria penetrated the shell, only rarely did organisms pass through the shell membrane into the white of the eggs. Stokes and Osborne (1956) …