Foods and Their Adulteration: Origin, Manufacture, and Composition of Food Products; Description of Common Adulterations, Food Standards, and National Food Laws and RegulationsWiley, Harvey Washington
Science
Foods and Their Adulteration: Origin, Manufacture, and Composition of Food Products; Description of Common Adulterations, Food Standards, and National Food Laws and Regulations
Wiley, Harvey Washington
Food; Food adulteration and inspection
_Broken Eggs._--An extensive industry has been practiced for many years
in the product known as broken eggs. In the preparation of broken eggs
at times of great abundance, the eggs are collected and broken and
then mixed together in containers of various sizes, often as large as
barrels, and preserved by the admixture of borax. From two to four
pounds of borax are usually employed per 100 pounds of broken eggs.
In this condition the eggs are kept from the time of great abundance
until the time of higher prices, namely, from six to eight months, and
then sent into commerce. The use of broken eggs of this kind for edible
purposes is totally indefensible. While borax prevents the development
of bacteria it does not entirely inhibit enzymic action and hence that
subtle change of nitrogenous matter which produces poisonous bodies may
go on in the presence of borax while apparently the egg itself remains
undecomposed. Broken eggs were formerly sent to this country in large
quantities from China and other Asiatic countries but since the passage
of food inspection laws as applied to foreign commerce the importation
of this class of food products has been prohibited, on the ground that
they are unfit for human consumption. Other preserving agents have been
used in place of borax for these products, but all are open to similar
objections. Broken eggs are used chiefly by bakers in large cities.
_Dried Eggs._--The rapid drying of fresh eggs is perhaps an
unobjectionable method of preservation. The drying may take place by
spreading the eggs in a thin film on a dry surface, which is the usual
method, or by forcing the egg product through small orifices under
a high pressure into a drying chamber so adjusted as to temperature
and size as to secure the desiccation of the minute particles of egg
spray before they fall to the bottom. This method is perhaps the best
which has yet been developed in the desiccation of such products. The
egg powder thus formed is almost devoid of moisture and when properly
collected and stored out of contact with the air, may be kept for
a time without deterioration. Dry egg products such as have been
described made from fresh eggs, may be considered unobjectionable for a
reasonable length of time. Unfortunately dried products are sometimes
made from decayed eggs. During the past year a factory making a product
of this kind was discovered by the food inspector of one of our large
cities.
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