An excess of which egg white indicates the egg is not fresh?

An excess of which egg white indicates the egg is not fresh?

• A. Thick albumin
• B. Thin albumin
• C. Yolk
• D. Shell

Answer: (B)

The important idea here is how egg white changes with freshness. Egg white is made up of two parts: a thick, viscous layer that clings to the yolk and a thinner, more watery outer layer. In a very fresh egg, the thick albumin is prominent, giving the white a gel-like feel around the yolk. As the egg ages, moisture and carbon dioxide escape, the pH rises, and the thick albumin thins out, so the white becomes mostly the thinner, watery form. So an excess of the thin albumin is a sign the egg is not fresh. The other options aren’t about the white’s freshness: the yolk is a different component, the shell isn’t white, and the thick albumin is the part that decreases as the egg ages rather than indicating freshness.

The important idea here is how egg white changes with freshness. Egg white is made up of two parts: a thick, viscous layer that clings to the yolk and a thinner, more watery outer layer. In a very fresh egg, the thick albumin is prominent, giving the white a gel-like feel around the yolk. As the egg ages, moisture and carbon dioxide escape, the pH rises, and the thick albumin thins out, so the white becomes mostly the thinner, watery form. So an excess of the thin albumin is a sign the egg is not fresh. The other options aren’t about the white’s freshness: the yolk is a different component, the shell isn’t white, and the thick albumin is the part that decreases as the egg ages rather than indicating freshness.