The Problem of Blood Clots and Meat Spots in Chicken Eggs

INTRODUCTION IT IS commonly assumed that about 2 to 4 percent of the eggs laid by hens selected at random contain blood spots or meat spots. Since eggs thus affected are classed as inedible, they constitute a serious loss to the industry. The presence of even minute amounts of blood in eggs may cause consumers to stop using eggs temporarily until they recover from the adverse psychological reaction. Even the producer is not wholly exempt from psychological reactions resulting from complaints made by housewives and storekeepers. A man responsible for candling eggs, goaded by complaining customers, may respond by excessive vigilance as far as suspicious eggs are concerned. He will “candle out” eggs which are perfectly sound rather than risk the appearance of blood spots or meat spots in the eggs to be sold. The possible loss from such super-vigilance is appreciable, especially if more good eggs than faulty eggs . . .