|
Consumers raise many questions about eggs. A need exists to erase doubts
and eliminate incorrect information.
Cholesterol
Perhaps the greatest doubt is that eggs should be avoided because they contribute
to blood cholesterol and aggravate heart problems. The presence or absence
of eggs in the ordinary American diet is not likely to greatly affect the
level of blood cholesterol.
Various factors, dietary and otherwise, affect the level of cholesterol
in the blood stream. Only a small minority of the population needs to
avoid high-cholesterol foods. And they are the persons with high blood
lipids who cannot utilize food cholesterol. Their conditions can be detected
by tests.
Many people, including most of those with heart conditions, should be
eating more nutritious foods such as eggs. Leading researchers have indicated
that the high-quality protein found in eggs is needed by heart patients
when rebuilding damaged heart muscle.
Chemicals
Some people say eggs have too much "speed" from chemicals added to the feed.
No scientific facts substantiate this claim. Only approved additives can
be used. Moreover, extensive monitoring for harmful residues is done.
Organics
Contrary to the beliefs of many critics, "organic eggs" do not have higher
nutritional values. The chief characteristic of organic eggs may be a strong
flavor acquired when the chickens eat bugs, worms, decaying matter, or similar
materials. That is not a nutritional plus.
Animal fat
Eggs do not have too much animal fat causing them to be nutritionally undesirable
as some people think. Rather, the fats in eggs are more like vegetable fats
and are primarily unsaturated.
Shell color
Some users prefer brown eggs to white, or vice versa. They claim better
flavor and nutrition. The only difference is in the color of the shell itself,
which is determined by the breed of hen. If hens have been fed the same
type of ration, their eggs will be nutritionally equivalent, regardless
of shell color. The eggs will also have the same flavor-keeping quality,
and whipping and cooking characteristics.
Fertile eggs
There is no scientific evidence that fertile eggs are nutritionally superior
to infertile ones. Fertile eggs have remnants of the male's sperm and a
small layer of cells that could form the embryo. The proportion of these
to the total egg is so small that it is impossible to detect chemical differences
between fertile and infertile eggs.
Pale yolks
Yolk color varies. It is almost completely dependent upon the feed the hen
eats. Birds that have access to green plants or have yellow corn or alfalfa
in their feed tend to produce dark yolks. Since commercial laying hens are
confined, lighter and more uniformly colored yolks are being produced. Yolk
color does not affect nutritive value or cooking characteristics. Egg yolks
are a rich source of vitamin A regardless of color.
Green whites
Greenish color in egg whites is usually due to riboflavin (vitamin B2),
that is a desirable component. So there is nothing wrong with greenish whites
that are most frequently observed in fresh, high-quality eggs.
Cloudy whites
This condition is noticeable in freshly laid or oil-treated fresh eggs.
It is caused by the naturally occurring carbon dioxide. As the egg ages
and this gas escapes, the white becomes clearer. The quality and flavor
of eggs with cloudy whites is excellent.
Chalazae
Consumers frequently ask about the stringy white pieces in egg whites. Some
think they are evidence of fertileness and very carefully remove them. They
are, of course, a natural part of the egg and anchor the yolk in the thick
white. Prominent chalazae indicate high quality. They tend to disappear
as the quality of the egg drops. However, eggs with small chalazae can have
high quality, too.
Difficult peeling
Hard-cooked eggs that do not peel easily are usually quite fresh. Eggs kept
for several days before cooking lose carbon dioxide making them easier to
peel.
Discolored yolks
The greenish coating around the yolks of hard-cooked eggs results from cooking
at too high a temperature or too long a time or from not cooling the eggs
rapidly following cooking. The sulfur and iron compounds formed at the surface
of the yolk do not affect flavor or wholesomeness, although the greenish
color is unattractive. |