The egg is one of the most consumed foods in our country and is part of a large multitude of recipes. On some occasions, when a dish containing this ingredient is prepared, when the shell is broken, a red stain appears in the white or yolk of the egg. In the case of such a delicate food, many have doubts: "Is it dangerous to eat it if it presents this anomaly?"
The whites and yolks of the eggs appear, from time to time, spotted with reddish specks. For some they may be unpleasant and they choose to discard the food, but consuming it does not represent any type of health risk. They do not mean that the egg is in poor condition, they are not indicative of a lack of freshness, nor do they affect its nutritional value in any way.
Contrary to what many people believe, this does not mean that the egg is fertilized. The most common thing, speaking of commercialized eggs, is that during the inspection and classification process, those with these specks of blood of a detectable size are removed. However, if they are small, they can go unnoticed and reach the supermarket.
These red spots are simply traces of blood due to a ruptured blood vessel or small pieces of tissue that the egg itself has dragged along in its formation process. When the small tear occurs when the shell is still forming inside the hen, some stain can end up on the inside of the egg.
Although nothing happens if it is ingested, it is preferable to remove it before consuming the egg. You have to do it with a fork, spoon or knife carefully so as not to break the yolk if you are going to prepare a fried egg.
However, it must be taken into account that this does not imply that the animal has any health problem, but that it is a completely natural phenomenon. This type of anomaly, moreover, is more frequent in blond eggs.
It is curious that these eggs, coming from colored hens, have a higher incidence than white ones: 18% of the former compared to a meager 0.5% of the latter. In any case, it is very possible that the difference between one and the other is due to the fact that the specks are much easier to detect in white eggs than in blond ones.
In addition, the location of the stain, which can be in the white or in the yolk, has an explanation. This is because the vein has ruptured inside the ovary. While the one that appears in the white, comes from the oviduct, which is the tube that the ovules go through while they develop.
Although it may seem so, the presence of these red wilts is not very frequent, it is estimated that between 1 and 3% of the eggs marketed have them, because in the inspections that are carried out in the selection centers, those that have them are usually removed very evident, and no longer reach the market.
