One of my hens started laying eggs with these brown/white lumps in them a few months ago. Does anyone know what they are and/or why they are present. It's kind of an appetite killer every time I crack an egg open and see it...
These are usually little bits of the lining of the oviduct which got shed during the egg formation process, but some may be partially broken down blood spots. They often take on the appearance of dirt or soil and vary in colour from pale yellow to dark brown or red, as shown in the images. Sizes vary from tiny specks to a few millimetres in diameter. There is a higher incidence of meat spots in eggs from older layers.
Though they look unappetising they are harmless. I usually just pick them out of the egg before cooking it.
I just ate one yesterday to my surprise and disgust. The egg was already cooked over easy with salt and cracked pepper...I thought this thing was just a larger pepper chunk...no. It wasn't. Biting into this thing was like chewing on a nut..but not expecting a nut whilst eating eggs is a cruel trick. I've been hunting down the cause of what on earth I was chewing on and this is a closest thing I think. I'll be more careful before cooking to comb through and fish these little nasties out and maybe with the kitchen light on next time.