Egg Quality Of <i>Gallus domesticus</i> Under Domestic Storage In Nigeria

Empirical relationships between egg quality parameters and storage length were determined using the total of 174 fresh chicken eggs stored for 14 consecutive days under three different conditions. These conditions mimicked the current methods of handling eggs domestically and in retail business. Differences in percentage weight loss and interior quality characteristics were significantly affected by type of storage, even after only 5 days of storage (P 0.05), whereas correlation with percentage weight loss or yolk index was very highly significant (P < 0.001). It was concluded that eggs placed in polythene bags and kept under room temperature suffer less depreciation in quality compared with eggs kept in open bowls. Where facilities are available, it was suggested that eggs should first be packaged in polythene bags before refrigeration.