text: i am allergic to eggs and was told that egg whites are used in the clarification process in coffee is this tru   well partially as i understand. i was a dish washer on a freighter as a teen ager. the engineer and officers instructed me to place egg shells in the coffee pot.  i asked why !. "to improve the flavor, clarify the brew and settle the grounds"... remember our fresh water on board ship was in the metal storage tanks. the idea was the egg shells absorbed the acid as well as bad odors and tastes. i think it would make a mess if you add just the whites to the hot coffee. ???