# What would make an egg white turn red?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-make-an-egg-white-turn-red/248568
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 4, 2004, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-make-an-egg-white-turn-red/248568 "2004-06-04T02:39:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@tanookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanookie)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2004, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-make-an-egg-white-turn-red/248568/1 "2004-06-04T02:39:33Z")
I tried googling but the results did not help. I got a lot of red pepper omelet recipes. I did a board search and was reminded that egg and red have three letters each and are invalid search terms.
I was making brownies and cracked open an egg. The white was blood red _eeew_ The yolk was a normal yellow. Nothing smelled strange. There was nothing else in the egg like chick parts - just a normal egg in every way except the red “white.”
I tossed it - certainly wasn’t going to eat it! But I wondered what would do that as I’ve never seen anything like it before.
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### Author:  [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2004, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-make-an-egg-white-turn-red/248568/2 "2004-06-04T02:52:48Z")
You guessed correctly:
Blood.
It’s still safe to eat, if perhaps unappetizing.
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### Author:  [@xcheopis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xcheopis)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2004, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-make-an-egg-white-turn-red/248568/3 "2004-06-04T04:21:41Z")
It’s the result of a broken capillary in the reproductive system. They’re safe to eat, though.
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### Author:  [@xcheopis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xcheopis)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2004, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-make-an-egg-white-turn-red/248568/4 "2004-06-04T04:46:03Z")
Correction: For large blood spots (which seems to be what you had), the egg should be discarded. Sorry for the mis-information.
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### Author:  [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-make-an-egg-white-turn-red/248568/5 "2004-06-04T20:41:13Z")
From [here (US Gov site):](http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/shelleggs.htm)
**Blood spots** are caused by a rupture of one or more small blood vessels in the yolk at the time of ovulation. It does not indicate the egg is unsafe.
**A cloudy white** (albumen) is a sign the egg is very fresh. A clear egg white is an indication the egg is aging.
**Pink or iridescent egg white** (albumen) indicates spoilage due to Pseudomonas bacteria. Some of these microorganisms – which produce a greenish, fluorescent, water-soluble pigment – are harmful to humans.
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### Author:  [@luluBahrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luluBahrain)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2004, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-make-an-egg-white-turn-red/248568/6 "2004-06-04T20:47:17Z")
I would just like to contribute…BLARGH and ICK :eek: