ABSTRACT Poultry egg is a complete food which provides high-quality nutrients that nourish the human body. It deteriorates and spoils within a short time, resulting in huge economic losses. Though several preservation and storage methods of fresh fowl eggs have been studied, they were reported to be inefficient and hence the quest for more efficient techniques to preserve and store fresh fowl eggs. A total of 120 Shika brown unfertile and fertile eggs were allotted to four treatment groups designated as control (not treated: T1), cellophane-treated (T2), brine-treated (T3) and sheanut oil-treated (T4) and stored at room temperature. Another 120 Shika brown unfertile and fertile eggs were allotted to four treatment groups designated as control (T5), cellophane-treated (T6), brine-treated (T7) and sheanut oil-treated (T8) and stored at cold temperature. Three eggs in each treatment were opened on days 21, 31, 41, 51 and 61 of storage, to evaluate yolk colour, albumen/yolk consistency, odour and the observations recorded were used to describe the egg as good, deteriorated or spoilt. It was shown that the egg weight varied from 49.6-57.6 g but lost between 0.47 g and 9.7 g during the study. The egg length values ranged from 5.30-6.93 cm, egg width varied between 3.97 and 4.11 cm, shell thickness ranged between 49.9 and 54.9 cm and shell weight varied from 5.63-6.17 g. On day 21, the eggs opened were observed to be good. On day 31, all the eggs opened among those stored atroom temperature deteriorated but those stored in the fridge were good. On days 41, 51 and 61, all the eggs opened were spoilt. On day 51 however, an egg each was observed to deteriorate, among unfertile eggs stored at room temperature and fertile eggs stored at cold temperature in sheanut oil. It was revealed that fertility may not influence the preservation and storage of fresh fowl eggs. Also, it was shown that use of cellophane, brine and sheanut oil in preserving fresh fowl eggs stored at room and cold temperatures may not be proficient.
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