However, small defects in the egg shell may provide means for the
predominant bacterial spp. on the egg shell to penetrate and move
into the egg contents (De Reu et al., 2006). Translucency is caused by
irregular mammillary knobs probably due to the fusion of several
mammillary cores during the early phases of egg shell formation (Bain
et al., 2006). It is not clear whether translucency has any role in
potentiating the entry of bacteria into the egg contents. The risk that
such eggs pose to product safety is uncertain. In the present study the
unwashed eggs collected directly from the cage front were tested for
Salmonella and E. coli spp. All the E. coli isolates were tested for
enterotoxin (STa and STb) and Colicin V (cvaC) gene. The influence of
egg shell abnormalities such as translucency on the ability of bacterial
isolates to penetrate egg shells at different temperatures was also
investigated.