Quality of eggs traded in different markets at Imperatriz, Maranhão, Brazil

Abstract

The experiment was led for evaluating the quality of white eggs from different places (supermarkets, free markets and poultry farm eggs). A completely randomized design was used with three treatments (commercial places) and five replicates (36 eggs for experimental unit). The studied variables were egg weight, integrity of the shell, albume weight, yolk weight, shell weight, albume % , yolk %, shell%, pH of the yolk and pH of the albume. The obtained data were analyzed by the GLM procedure of the SAS program. White eggs of the day (from the farm) and from supermarkets presented the best results (P <0.05) for egg weight and the worst for dirty eggs percentage. Eggs differed (P <0.05) for most of the quality variables, except pH of the yolk. Eggs from supermarkets and free markets are out of the established quality pattern for the suitable category in the label of the packing. Eggs from poultry farm eggs showed the best quality.