EVOLUTION OF CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL ALBUMIN CHARACTERISTICS DURING THESTORAGE OF SHELL EGGS

The aim of this paper was to study the evolution of furosine, pyroglut amic acid, and uridine and rheological characteristics of albumen from shell eggs stored over long times at 30, 20, and 5 degrees C. The che mical variables showed an increase in function of the storage temperat ure with more evident variations at room temperatures. At 5 degrees C, furosine increase was very low, while uridine presented a rapid incre ase after 150 days; pyroglutamic acid, instead, showed an even increas e throughout the storage. The main decrease of viscosity happened duri ng the first storage period; viscosity remained almost constant after 4, 6, and 36 days at 30, 20, and 5 degrees C, respectively. During the storage of eggs, a transition from pseudoplasticity to Newtonity was observed, while the aggregation temperature, evaluated through viscosi ty measurements, remained constant at 61-62 degrees C. Furosine, pyrog lutamic acid, and uridine were generally well-correlated (P > 99%) bet ween them, while the correlation with viscosity was lower.