Effect of Inheritance on the Foaming Ability of Albumen

Abstract

The effect of strain of bird and age of egg on the foaming ability of albumen was studied. Five parameters were used to examine foaming ability: foam height, specific gravity, stability, pH, and surface tension. Both strain of bibrd and age of egg significantly affected all of the foaming parameters. Eggs stored longer reached their maximum foam height more rapidly. Foam height and specific gravity were found to be interdependent measurements. In general, older eggs or those with higher pH gave foams with greater height and less stability. Foam height was generally greater when surface tension was lower.

A Principal Component Analysis using original observations gave the following linear equation as the best measurement of foaming ability for 1 day old eggs:

0.9991 (foam height) + 0.0346 (specific gravity) + 0.0132 (pH)

+ 0.0079 (stability) + 0.0196 (surface tension).

For eggs stored 1 week:

0.966 (foam height) + 0.2310 (specific gravity) + 0.0149 (pH)

+ 0.1033 (stability) + 0.0507 (surface tension).