The Vitamin A Content of Fresh and Stored Shell Eggs

Abstract

ABSTRACT THE vitamin A content of fresh and stored shell eggs has been determined as part of a study of changes in composition occurring when shell eggs are kept in cold storage. Egg yolk is one of the better food sources of vitamin A, one egg furnishing 4 to 16 percent of the daily requirement (Boucher, 1941). Any losses of vitamin A from such a rich dietary source is of importance nutritionally. Large numbers of eggs are stored for extended times, and so-called fresh eggs are usually several days old before they are eaten. According to previous work from this laboratory, eggs stored for 12 months lost 18 percent of the niacin (Evans et al., 1951a), 51 percent of the vitamin B6 (Evans et al., 1951b), 14 percent of the riboflavin (Evans et al., 1952a), 8 percent of the pantothenic acid (Evans et al., 1952b), 27 percent of the folic acid . . .