QUALITY OF REFRIGERATED OIL-COATED QUAIL EGGS DURING SUBSEQUENT AMBIENT STORAGE

Changes in the internal and sensory quality of quail eggs coated by sp raying or dipping in groundnut oil mixed with 200 ppm butylated hydrox ytoulene were evaluated under ambient (24 +/- 2 degrees C; 57-58% RH) storage, following 30 days of refrigeration (5 +/- 1 degrees C; 80-85% RH). The cumulative loss in the weight of oiled eggs was 2.5 to 2.6% only as against 8.3% in unoiled eggs after 15 days of ambient storage. Both the oiling treatments appeared almost equally effective in retar ding the decline in internal and sensory quality of eggs. However, no significant increase in thiobarbituric acid value was found during sto rage regardless of treatments. Unoiled and oiled eggs held under refri geration for a month should be marketed within 5 and 15 days, respecti vely, under ambient condition.