Date: Sat, 16 Sep 1995 22:34:09 -0400
From: JPOPENOE@aol.com
Subject: chicken candling query.
To: sanet-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu
Message-id: <950916223408_101365611@emout06.mail.aol.com>
X-Envelope-to: weintraub, wilk
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I was recently asked about candling eggs. What can be told by candling?
condition of egg? whether it is fertilized? Also, I have been told chickens
produce one egg every 26 hours. But it must vary. What is a high rate of
production? A low? If anyone can enlighen us chicken novices it would be
much appreciated. Thank you.
One of the reasons for candling is to make sure eggs sold for the Jewish
trade are Kosher. Jews are forbidden to eat the blood of an animal.
Kosher meat, for example, must be soaked in salt and water after it is
purchased to make sure that all the blood has been removed.
Eggs are candled to check for blood spots. If a spot of blood appears in
a yolk, the egg cannot be sold at a kosher market.
When I was growing up candling was done in the store by the merchant
before selling the eggs. The procedure was as follows:
A metal or wooden box with a light bulb inside and a hole in the side
was used for candling. The egg is inserted partiallly into the hole and
the light penetrates the shell making it possible to see a blood spot.
I have not seen candling done recently, but it is probably performed in
a similar manner by kosher food stores today.
Irwin Weintraub
Agriculture Resource Librarian
Rutgers University
weintraub@zodiac.rutgers.edu