Study of the shelf life in quail eggs.

Abstract

This work was carried out to observe the evolution of quail egg quality throughout its useful life, by determining physical-chemical variables and contrasting the influence of the conservation temperature. For this reason, two different study models were carried out: - Study I, in which 70 quail eggs acquired in a commercial establishment were sampled and the quality was determined in 7 controls from day 15 to day 39 after laying. Half (35) were kept in refrigeration and the other half were kept at room temperature. - Study II, with 40 eggs purchased from a local amateur quail producer. The duration of this study was 28 days in which 8 controls were made and the eggs were kept at room temperature. The quality parameters that were determined on the eggs were: egg weight, flotation, ovoscopy lamp, air chamber measurement, maximum width, maximum length, shell thickness, dense white diameter, dense white height, yolk diameter, yolk height, yolk pH, white pH, total pH, colour, Haugh units, yolk index, dense white index and shape index. For the analysis of the data, it was used the Chi-square (χ2) test or the exact Fisher test and a model was estimated using least squares and the goodness of fit was assessed using the adjusted R-squared coefficient. Study I showed that HU, dense white index and yolk index were the best variables for differentiating the quality of commercial quail eggs preserved at room temperature from those preserved in refrigeration. In all cases, they were superior to those in refrigeration. Likewise, the conservation temperature influenced the evolution trend of the HU and the dense white index throughout the period studied, being ascending at refrigeration temperature and descending at room temperature. It did not influence the upward trend of the egg chamber values during the study controls. In view of the data obtained from all the eggs in Studies I and II, a classification could be made that divides the quail eggs into 5 classes (between <7 and >12g), and a value of 75 (HU) could be established to evaluate their category as acceptable during their commercial life, which, once the total pH values and quality indices have been seen, could be established at least 32 days after laying