Is It Safe To Eat Eggs With Blood Spots?
Has a bright blood spot in an egg ever caught you off guard? There's no need for alarm. Let's cover why these so-called "meat spots" occur, and whether they're safe to consume.
A bloody spot in an egg is not always an appetizing sight, but it is natural. Backyard Poultry describes ovulation as the point when a hen produces a matured yoke encased by a shell. According to an article in Healthline, meat spots in egg yolks occur when a blood vessel has ruptured during ovulation.
These blood specks can appear in either the yolk or the egg white. A tinge of brown appearing in the yolk is the sign that a blood vessel was ruptured as the egg was in the hen's ovary. Spotty egg whites show that a vessel was punctured as it traveled through the oviduct.
Are these eggs still safe to scramble?
Due to mass production across the country, we've become accustomed to spotless eggs. Manufacturers check for quality and use a process called candling to remove eggs with spots (via Healthline). However, nature may still shock us with a drop of color, as not all spots are able to be detected. From the farm to the market, "meat spots" happen organically.
When you crack open your breakfast favorite and find a speckled surprise, don't throw it out. Farmers say this is just as typical as finding a double-yoked egg. The Prairie Homestead writes that meat spots are safe to eat. Often, the specks indicate the egg is fresh.
A regular-sized egg has 6 to 7 grams of protein. Whether you fancy the yolk or the white, meat spots are not known to affect protein levels in eggs (via Healthline). Before cooking, specks can be removed or simply dismissed.
Intrinsic spots show up in eggs due to ruptures of blood vessels in hen's ovaries. They are acceptable to eat. Enjoy your egg-y breakfast or brunch. No harm, no fowl. And like Mom says, "They'll all taste the same."