EXERCISE NO.

IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF FRESH EGGS

Cherry O. Librando
(Modified by R. Caiña for 2nd Sem., S.Y. 2022-2023)

INTRODUCTION

(Create your own at the worksheet, refer to the “Guidelines in Preparing a Laboratory
Report” presentation in PDF.)

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the exercise, the student should be able to:

1. demonstrate ways of determining freshness of eggs;

2. differentiate the characteristics of fresh and aged eggs; and
3. explain the effect of aging on the chemical and physical properties of eggs.

MATERIALS NEEDED

Materials Quantity Specification

Beakers or glasses
3 pcs. The size of each should be enough for the egg
sample to move around (approximately with a
capacity of 250 mL). The glasses should be
clear and with uniform size and shape for
better comparison.

Plates/ saucers 3 pcs. Identical in plain, white color, and flat

Hand mixer or wire whisk 1 unit / 1 pc.

Mixing bowl/ deep bowl At least 1 piece Sides should be slope to facilitate proper
whisking

Egg tray / container For storage of eggs at room temperature

Ruler I pc Transparent with mm or cm units

Pen/marker and labeling tape

Pair of scissors

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

Ingredients Quantity Specification

Treatment 1 (T1) 1 – 2 pcs. of fresh eggs To be purchased on the last week or 1st week
of Feb. depending in your class schedule
(approx. 2-week-old during the conduct of the
experiment)

Treatment 2 (T2) 1 – 2 pcs. of fresh eggs To be purchased on the 2nd week of Feb.
(approx. 1-week-old during the conduct of the
experiment)

Treatment 3 (T3) 1 – 2 pcs. of fresh eggs To be purchased on the 3rd week of Feb.
(FRESH sample)

Note: Only 1 egg is required for each treatment, the other egg will serve as extra/ reserved.

Procedure:

1. Purchase an egg on the dates instructed by your laboratory faculty - in

charge.
2. Put the egg samples in a container and label them with your group number,
treatment number, and the date it was purchased (Ex. G1 T1 2-01-2022).
3. Store the eggs at room temperature until the observation/ experiment date.
4. During the observation date, get a beaker or glass and label it with the
treatment number. Fill in each glass with water until ¾ full. Submerge each
egg sample in a glass and observe. In your observation, take note of the egg
that sinks at the bottom, the egg that floats, and its position such as tilting. If 2
eggs float, measure their distance from the bottom of the glass or beaker for
comparison. Fill in Table 1.
5. Take a picture of the three samples together during the floating test and
attach in the appendices with its proper label. Example: Appendix Figure 1.
Floating test conducted on the three samples of egg (T1, T2, and T3).
6. Take the three plates and mark them with treatment number. Crack the egg
on its respective plate. Observe the physical states of the egg white and yolk
from each sample. Carefully measure the height of the yolk, the height of the
egg white nearest to the yolk (thick albumen), and the diameter of the egg
yolk using a ruler. The units of measurement should be in centimeter or
millimeter. Take a picture of your samples and attach it in the appendices
with label. Fill in Table 1.
7. Carefully separate the egg white from the yolk of T 1 and transfer it to a mixing
bowl. Describe the characteristic of the egg white and fill in Table 2. Whisk
the egg white until it creates bubbles or foam. Describe the bubbles created
and fill in Table 2. Get a timer and observe until liquid is observed at the
bottom of the bowl for foam stability testing and comparison. Record the time.
Do the same process for T2 and T3 samples.
8. Compare foam stability and fill in Table 2. Take a picture of the foam created
from each sample and attach in the appendices with label.

Note: The above activity was modified from Cooking a Chemical Reaction: Culinary Science with
Experiments by Sibel Ozilgen (2015).
REFERENCE

Ozilgen, S. 2015. Cooking as a chemical reaction: culinary science with

experiments. CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL.

EXERCISE NO. 1 WORKSHEET

IDENTIFICATION AND

Name: LADY HEART L. CANUOG Score: ____________

Section (Lab.): BSND 1AX Date Submitted: _____
Group No.: ___________________________

INTRODUCTION

Egg, in general, is a food product produced from poultry that is used as both
an ingredient and a main dish for baked foods. Eggs have a hard shell of calcium
carbonate enclosing a liquid white, a single yolk (or an occasional double yolk) and
an air cell. However, people have been consuming/utilizing it without properly
distinguishing the identification and characterization of the egg, especially in terms of
its freshness, before it is consumed.
This poultry product (egg), like other protein foods, is highly risky to
contamination with bacteria. One of the factors that allows a bacteria to contaminate
the product is the period of time it was stored. Freshness plays an important role in
determining the quality of eggs and egg products. Thus, we can simply determine if
the egg is fresh or an aged one according to the visual appearance of both egg white
and egg yolk, height of the egg yolk, height of the egg white adjacent to the yolk, and
the diameter of the egg yolk. Regarding also to its foam quality, an egg can be
identified as fresh or aged in accord with its visual appearance before and after
mixing, and its foam stability.
With these, egg’s quality can be determined. Identifying and characterizing an
egg, whether it is fresh or aged, is very significant especially to those consumers who
are vulnerable in other protein products. Thus, it is the most relevant index used in
the food industries, transportation and consumers use it to assess nutritional value
and food products because the fresher the egg people consumed, the higher the
nutritional value they’ll get.
OBJECTIVES

At the end of the exercise, the student should be able to:

1. demonstrate ways of determining freshness of egg;

2. differentiate the characteristics of fresh and aged eggs; and
3. explain the effect of aging on the chemical and physical properties of eggs.

RESULTS AND OBSERVATIONS

Table 1. Comparison of the characteristics of the fresh (T3) and aged eggs (T1 and
T2).
CRITERIA T1 T2 T3

Description of the Tilt right side Tilt right side Upside down
position of the egg
in floating test

*Visual appearance Watery Less watery Thick albumen is

of the egg white visible; thick
consistency

**Visual Light yellow Dark yellow Pale yellow

appearance of the
egg yolk

Height of the egg 5 cm Cannot be 8 cm

yolk (in cm/mm) determined

Height of the egg 2 cm Cannot be 4 cm

white adjacent to determined
the yolk (in cm/mm)

Diameter of the egg 45 cm Cannot be 42 cm

yolk (in cm/mm) determined
*For egg white, use the terms such as runny and viscous. Take note also if thick and thin albumen is still evident.
**For egg yolk, use the terms such us round, firm, flat, and others.

DISCUSSION:

In determining whether the egg is a fresh egg or an aged egg, we must test
each of the characteristics of an egg that may affect its quality. These factors
includes the position of the egg once placed in a glass of water, visual appearance of
the egg white and egg yolk, height of the egg yolk, height of the egg white adjacent to
the egg yolk and the diameter of the egg yolk.

In Table 1, it emphasizes the comparison of the characteristics of the eggs

(T1, T2, and T3). We also identified whether the eggs are fresh or aged according to
their characteristics. In the floating test, we are able to determine the freshness of
the egg depending on the position of the egg as we placed it in the glass of water. T1
and T2 showed the position of tilting to its right side. However, T3 is positioned
upside down. Take note, once we place the eggs in the water and the egg sinks to
the bottom and lie flat on their sides, they are very fresh. If your eggs stand on one
end at the bottom, they are a few weeks old, but still fine to eat. If your eggs float to
the surface, they are no longer fresh. Therefore, T1 is the aged egg, T2 is still fine to
eat, and T3 is the freshest egg among the following.

Next to test is the visual appearance of the egg white. Remember, more
watery the egg, the more it old it is. However, if the thick albumen is visible to that
egg, then the egg is fresh. On the second test, it is concluded that T1 is the oldest
since it has the watery egg white, then the T1, and lastly is the T3 wherein thick
albumen is present or visible. Same goes to the yolk, the darker the color of the yolk,
the fresher it is. So, we can conclude that T1 is the oldest since it has the palest
yellow, then T2 is dark yellow, and lastly is the T3 is the freshest since it has the
darkest color. However, there are still instances that even a fresher egg will have a
pale color depending on its breed.

Then the other characteristic of the egg to be tested is the height of its egg
yolk. Now, we must take note that the thicker the yolk, the fresher it is. In the
conducted activity, it is measured that T1 has 5cm in height, T2 cannot determined
since the yolk has been scattered throughout the egg, and T3 measured 8cm in
height. Therefore, we can conclude that T3 is the freshest since it has the thickest
yolk. The other factor to be measured is the height of the egg white adjacent to
the yolk. In this case, the thicker the egg white the fresher the egg. In T1, it has the
height of 2cm, in T2 still we cannot determine, and T3 has the height of 4cm. Thus,
simply implies that T3 is much fresher than the other since it has a thicken albumen.
Lastly, the measuring of the diameter of the egg yolk. Remember, the greater its
diameter, the older it is, vice versa. T1 measured 45cm, T2 cannot be determined,
then, T3 measured 42cm. Therefore, T1 is the oldest egg and T3 is the freshest egg.

With these results, we can now identify which of the eggs, from T1 to T3, is
the freshest or the aged one.
Table 2. Comparison of the foam of the fresh egg (T3) and aged eggs (T1 and T2).
CRITERIA T1 T2 T3

Visual appearance Watery; light Thick consistency;

before mixing yellow colorless

*Visual appearance Foamy white Thicker foamy

after mixing white

Foam stability Least stable Most stable

*Use the terms such as runny, foamy, stiff, weak, and stable (least stable, more stable, most stable) to evaluate
and compare the samples.

DISCUSSION:

To test whether the egg used in foaming is fresh or an aged one, we are
intended to test the egg’s appearance before and after mixing, and its foam stability.

In Table 2, it shows us the comparison of the foam of the fresh egg and aged
eggs from the conducted activity. In testing the visual appearance of the eggs before
mixing, we need to observe the color of the egg white, its thickness and if it’s watery.
In T1, its appearance showed a watery and light yellow in color. While in T2, there is
no foaming conducted since the egg white has been mixed with its egg yolk. Lastly,
T3 has a thick consistency and has a colorless appearance. However, there is no
such huge effect of the appearance of an egg white to its foaming quality.

Next, in the visual appearance after mixing, T1 is observed to have foamy

white appearance but T3 has thicker foamy white. Thus, T3 is the fresher egg since it
has a greater capacity to foam.

Lastly is the comparison of fresh and aged egg in accordance to their foam
stability. Remember, the fresher the egg, the more stable it foams. So, as observed,
T1 is the least stable to foam; therefore, it is the aged one. On the other hand, T3 has
higher stability among all; therefore, it is the fresher egg.

With the results and discussion provided, we can now conclude that the
fresher the egg, the greater it foams.
CONCLUSION:

Freshness of an egg plays an important role in determining the quality of eggs

and egg products (Harnsoongnoen, S., 2021). Thus, we can simply determine if the
egg is fresh or an aged one according to the visual appearance of both egg white
and egg yolk, height of the egg yolk, height of the egg white adjacent to the yolk, and
the diameter of the egg yolk. Regarding also to its foam quality, an egg can be
identified as fresh or aged in accord with its visual appearance before and after
mixing, and its foam stability.

In the conducted activity, we can now conclude different basis to determine if

an egg is fresh or aged. First, the fresh egg (T3) sinks in a glass of water with an
upside down position, and this is due to the egg’s thicker quality of albumen which it
can keep the yolk balanced and centered within the egg. Unlike aged eggs wherein it
sinks or tilts right side. Second, a fresh egg (T3) has thicker albumen than those with
scattered and watery albumen, unlike those in T1 and T2 wherein the egg white has
single-layered albumen and watery appearance which means that it is already stored
for weeks. Next, the visual appearance of an egg yolk will not greatly affect the
quality or freshness of the egg. The color of the yolk is mostly dependent to the breed
applied to the host. However, in the activity conducted, T1 as light yellow in color, T2
is dark yellow, and T3 is a pale yellow in color. Then, in determining the freshness of
an egg according to the height of the egg yolk, we must take note that the thicker the
egg yolk the fresher it is; vice versa. Same goes to the height of an egg white
adjacent to the egg yolk where the thicker the egg white the fresher it is; thus, T3 has
the higher measured height of the egg yolk and egg white. Unlike the height of an
egg yolk and egg white, in measuring the diameter of the egg, the greater the
diameter the more aged an egg is. Therefore, T1 is the oldest egg while T3 is the
freshest egg among all.

Moreover, the freshness or aged quality of an egg can affect the quality of the
foam during foaming process. In the activity conducted the visual appearance before
and after mixing, and the foam stability were observe. Nevertheless, the color of the
egg white will not matter and affect any of the factors of the foam. However, the more
watery the egg, the more aged, the higher time it takes to foam and the faster it will
liquefy back to its neutral state. So the fresher the egg, the more thick consistent and
less watery it is. After mixing, foam will form. How it differ is that, the fresher the egg,
the thicker the foam it’ll produce. Lastly, the fresher the egg with thicker albumen it
has, the more stable it stays foam.

Among all, every quality and characteristics of an egg has its significant
contribution and effects to both product and consumers. Thus, Egg quality defines
those characteristics of an egg that affect consumer acceptability and preference.

QUESTIONS:

1. What are the pointers to remember in procuring eggs?

The following are the most common pointers to remember in purchasing eggs:

 Always purchase eggs from a refrigerated case.

 Choose eggs with clean, uncracked shells.
 Don’t buy out-of-date eggs.
 When purchasing egg products or substitutes, look for containers that are
tightly sealed and unopened.
 Check the egg’s size and color.
 Consider its price.

2. Why is it that purchasing of eggs with crack is highly discouraged?

Basically, salmonella can get into the interior of the egg if cracked; thus, we
must not purchase an egg that has cracks to any of its parts. Now, the
bacteria is easily introduced to the egg yolk or egg white through any cracks
in the shell. Once this will happen, the person consuming the infected egg will
experience different kinds of symptoms that will turn into an ill, worst, death.
So, it is highly discourage for us, consumers, to purchase an egg with crack.

REFERENCES

Harnsoongnoen, S., & Jaroensuk, N. (2021a). The grades and freshness assessment of

eggs based on density detection using machine vision and weighing sensor.

Scientific Reports, 11(1), 16640. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-96140-x

Rolla, J. (2021, May 23). Should eggs be stored pointed end down? BBC Science

Focus Magazine. https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/should-eggs-be-

stored-pointed-end-down/

Breezli, M. (2015). What points should you consider when buying eggs? - Egg Safety

Center. Egg Safety Center; Egg Safety Center. https://eggsafety.org/faq/what-

points-should-you-consider-when-buying-eggs/
APPENDICES (Attached the pictures and label)

FLOATING TEST
CRACKED EGGS IN PLATES

EXAMPLES OF FOAM