The Effects of Temperature, Vapor Pressure and Absolute Humidity on Bacterial Contamination of Shell Eggs ,

BACTERIAL contamination of shell eggs is one of the major problems of the poultry industry. A knowledge of variable conditions as related to this contamination would aid in the solution of the problem. Hadley and Caldwell (1916) found fresh eggs to be free from the bacteria chiefly concerned with the decomposition of eggs. The shell has also been found to be sterile in eggs removed from the oviduct or handled under aseptic conditions when laid (Stuart and McNally, 1943). If the shell and contents of the egg are sterile at oviposition, the problem of egg spoilage must be concerned with eggs after they are laid. McNally (1954) stored eggs under controlled conditions of temperature and humidity for from one to three weeks and reported that bacterial infection varied directly with temperature and relative humidity. As part of the trial he stored some eggs with damp shells and some with dry …