The Vitamin B12 Content of Fresh and Stored Shell Eggs

Abstract

THE vitamin B12 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. Losses of nutrients during holding and storage of shell eggs are of importance, because large numbers of eggs are stored for extended times and because fresh eggs are usually several days old before they are eaten.According to previous work from this laboratory, eggs stored for twelve months lost 18 percent of the niacin, 51 percent of the vitamin B6, 14 percent of the riboflavin, 8 percent of the pantothenic acid, and 27 percent of the folic acid (Evans et al., 1951b, c, 1952a, b, 1953a) but did not lose choline nor biotin (Evans et al., 1951a, 1953b). Data are herein presented which show a loss of vitamin B12 from shell eggs that had been stored for twelve months.