One of the missions of the American Egg Board is to make news about the functionality of egg products readily accessible to food formulators.  An eggcellent vehicle to communicate that information is the food ingredient trade press.   Respected publications such as Food Product Design, Prepared Foods, Food Technology and Food Business News frequently publish articles that discuss functionalities, nutrition and other key attributes in the creation of new products.

Egg products are increasingly used in many of these new products.  The role of the egg aids food formulators in aeration, emulsification, texture, coagulation and over fifteen additional functions while providing nutritional attributes.  All of this helps define egg products as a key ingredient in the formulation of baking, sauces, pasta and other prepared foods.

Egg products are truly an eggceptional ingredient in any food formulators ingredient matrix.

To learn more visit Egg Products in the News.  Need more information, give us a call at 847.296.7043.

The American Egg Board produces and funds research specifically related to the functional and nutritional aspects of egg products. Researchers from around the world contribute their knowledge and learning to provide food formulators with the most up-to-date information possible.

Our goal is to make our research easy to use. As you view the webpage, you can simply hover over the title of each research study for a quick look at what the study covers. Additionally, you can use our search feature to find what you’re looking for, either functionality or health and nutrition research. To further assist you, we have provided links to more research.

The research studies draw on the expertise of AEB, the Egg Nutrition Center, noted industry journals such as the Journal of Food Science and Food Chemistry, as well as universities which specialize in egg product research such as Auburn University.

Can’t find what you need?  Give us a call at 847.296.7043, we’ll be happy to help.

An Expert’s POV on Gluten-Free and Soy Allergens

At the American Egg Board/Egg Nutrition Center, we are often asked if eggs should be considered gluten-free. With the incidence of gluten allergies on the rise, this is an important question that can have great health implications for many Americans.

Gluten-Free

According to Dr. Steven Taylor from The Food Allergy Research and Resource Program (FARRP) at the University of Nebraska, eggs should be considered gluten-free. Dr. Taylor points out that many gluten-free products contain eggs and they do not test positive for gluten. Although it is likely that egg-laying chickens eat wheat grain containing gluten it is also likely that the birds digest the gluten and break it down to it’s constituent amino acids, which in turn are used to build chicken and egg proteins. Little if any of the gluten appears to make it to the egg in an intact form.

Soy Allergens

This appears to be the case regarding soy allergenicity and eggs as well. Although one recent study indicated that small amounts of isoflavones from the soy in chicken feed apparently is transferred to the egg, protein fractions from soy are broken down during the digestive process and are not likely transferred to the egg or meat of the chicken. So folks with soy allergies can enjoy eggs without worrying about a potential allergic reaction.

Click to read the September 2011 editorial from Food Product Design titled   “Going Gluten-Free”

To read more from American Egg Board about Gluten-Free, click here.

The American Egg Board is pleased to introduce the 2012 edition of their Buyers’ Guide. The  guide has been updated to provide the latest and most accurate listing of U.S. Egg Product Suppliers and the products they produce.

This publication is designed to help you identify and locate the type of egg product(s) you require. The sections are color coded for quick reference.  A new addition to the guide is a section containing nutrient values and typical specifications for egg products. In this section you’ll discover the many valuable nutrients contained in egg products, reference data and much more.

We offer three ways to search for the right egg products for your operation: by company, by type of egg product and by geographic area. Each company listing includes the types of products offered and contact information.   Two search methods are available, first an easy to use online database, and second you can download a PDF.

Please contact us if you can’t locate your needs, e-mail us at aeb@aeb.org.

This website is designed to provide you with valuable information about the amazing multi-functional benefits of egg products in a variety of food formulations. These FREE educational videos demonstrate how one of nature’s most perfect foods can help make other foods perfect, too. You can simply watch the videos or sign up to test your knowledge through a series of quizzes and receive a certificate for Continuing Education credit. Whichever you choose, we hope you enjoy the “eggsperience”.

Here’s what you’ll see:

Sign up and watch today, visit www.functionalegg.org

Egg white, also referred to as egg albumen, contains 56% of the whole egg’s total protein along with the majority of the egg’s niacin, riboflavin, chlorine, magnesium, potassium, sodium and sulfur.

Alone, egg whites are about 88% water, 10% protein and almost completely free of fat and cholesterol, making them very attractive ingredients in today’s food formulating industry. In fact, egg whites are a high-quality, nutrient dense food ingredient, as the protein in egg white has a very high biological value. It also been shown to provide satiety, and thus assist in weight loss diets.

The proteins in egg whites are very functional, and assist food product developers with overcoming certain formulating challenges. An increasingly popular challenge in today’s food industry is to satisfy the restrictions set for by natural foods stores on what a product may or may not contain. Egg whites have never been an issue, as they are all-natural and a nutrition powerhouse.

Egg whites help formulators with producing high-volume foams and with leavening. When combined with other ingredients such as water or milk, they can be used to glaze pocket-style sandwiches, rolls and breads, preventing the crusts from drying. Egg whites also act as an adhesive in both breading and coating processes, as well as with topical application of nuts and seeds.

For ease of convenience, egg product manufacturers separate egg whites from egg yolks, and sell them as individual ingredients. Liquid egg whites are available refrigerated, ready-to-use, or frozen. The advantage to frozen egg whites is a lengthier shelflife. Food manufacturers can thaw and use on an as needed basis.

Regardless if liquid whites are sold refrigerated or frozen, they are always pasteurized for safety. They can also be formulated to include other ingredients such as salt or sugar for added shelflife and enhanced functionality. At the industrial level, liquid white—refrigerated or thawed frozen—can be added with other wet ingredients. Liquid white readily integrates into manufacturing systems, including pumping and extrusion.

To locate a supplier of Refrigerated Liquid/Frozen Egg White, visit http://www.aeb.org/food-manufacturers/buyers-guide

Egg yolks, which are often referred to as the yellow of eggs, comprise 30% to 33% of the total fluid weight of a whole egg. For ease of convenience, egg product manufacturers separate egg yolks from egg whites, and sell them as individual ingredients.

Yolks contain the entire fat content of the egg, along with a little less than half of the protein and a high proportion of vitamins and minerals. Egg yolks are also one of the few foods to naturally contain vitamin D, an important vitamin for bone structure.

Egg yolks have a favorable fat content. According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, the fat in one whole large egg, which again, is all contained in the egg yolk, is about two-thirds unsaturated. The unsaturated to saturated fat gram ratio is 1.67:1. Of the 2.6 grams of unsaturated fat that an egg yolk contains, 1.9 grams is monounsaturated and 0.7 grams is polyunsaturated. The result is a polyunsaturated fat to saturated fat gram ratio of 0.44:1.

Egg yolk products come in a variety of forms, with liquid being one of the most commonly used by food formulators. Liquid egg yolk products are sold refrigerated and are always pasteurized for safety and shelflife. Liquid egg yolk products can also include other ingredients such as salt or sugar for added shelflife and enhanced functionality.

All liquid egg yolk products are quick and easy to use at the commercial level, as they are readily integrated into manufacturing systems, including pumping and extrusion. They may be received in bulk tank trucks, smaller portable tanks or totes, metal or plastic containers, polyethylene-coated fiber or laminated-foil and paper cartons, or hermetically sealed polyethylene bags. These containers range in size from bags containing a few ounces to cartons up to 5 lbs and lacquer-coated tins and plastic pails up to 40 lbs.

Egg yolks are best known for their emulsification properties, particularly in mayonnaise, salad dressing and cream-style sauces. They have many other functional properties, too. For example, in bakery products, yolks impart a rich color that comes from the  carotenoids present in the lipid portion of the yolk. The lecithin in the yolk also reduces the rate of moisture loss, at the same time it exerts a tenderizing effect on the crumb. Egg yolks are also used to impart richness to ice cream and frozen custard.

To locate a supplier of Refrigerated Liquid/Frozen Egg Yolk, visit http://www.aeb.org/food-manufacturers/buyers-guide

Whole eggs are composed of two distinct parts—the albumen, or white, and the yolk, or yellow—with each part providing different and important nutrients and functionalities. Nutritionally, whole eggs are nutrient dense. A 50-gram egg (average weight of a Large egg) contains 6.25 grams of protein, which is high-quality, complete protein, 5 grams of fat, the majority of which is unsaturated, and a range of essential vitamins and minerals.

Whole liquid and frozen eggs are often sold salted. The salt is added to assist in maintaining product quality and functionality. If the whole eggs are frozen, salt specifically assists in preventing gelation, which leads to an undesirable increase in viscosity due to aggregation of the lipoproteins.

When salt is added, it is typically 10% of the egg product formulation. When using a salted egg product, food developers must adjust product formulations to account for the presence of salt.

The functional properties of salted whole eggs are minimally affected by freezing. Whole eggs, either liquid or thawed frozen product, provide prepared foods with exceptional richness in terms of flavor, color and texture. They can be used to assist in emulsifying, increasing volume, and improving machineability while providing consistency in measurement and ensuring quality.

Quality control managers can be assured that liquid and frozen liquid whole eggs are pasteurized to destroy Salmonella and other bacteria. If whole egg product is being made, pasteurized egg whites and egg yolks from the same production batch are blended together in their entirety, in natural proportions. Eggs products produced by combining whites and yolks from different batches cannot be labeled as whole eggs. These products must be identified with an ingredient statement showing the content of the product as egg whites and egg yolks.

To locate a supplier of Refrigerated Liquid/Frozen Salted Whole Egg, visit http://www.aeb.org/food-manufacturers/buyers-guide

Whether it’s hard-boiled, over-easy or poached; used for breakfast, lunch or dinner; baked goods or sauces…the egg is truly the MVP of the kitchen. Not surprisingly, penetration is extremely high and egg use remains steady at 94% of all US household, according to a recent Mintel report.

A whopping 92% of Mintel respondents agree that eggs are an important part of a healthy diet. In addition, 30% of respondents eat fewer eggs than they would like due to concerns about cholesterol.

“Older egg buyers confront heart-health issues and therefore limit egg consumption because of the cholesterol,” notes Bill Patterson, senior analyst at Mintel. “The over-55 egg buyer is a prime target for low-cholesterol eggs and egg substitutes, and could be reminded that cholesterol levels in eggs have fallen.”

Eggs are such a staple in people’s lives, that regardless of price increases or decreases, half of those households that buy eggs say they will not change their egg purchasing habits.

“Eggs represent an economical source of protein for people’s diets,” adds Bill Patterson. “Since the recession began in 2008, consumers have been driven to opt for larger volumes of eggs as a substitute for more expensive proteins. In April 2009 to June 2010, the 30-day average of eggs used increased to its highest level in seven years…33 eggs per household.”

Regular white eggs are purchased by a large majority of consumers (88%), followed by brown eggs at 27%; organic eggs at 17%; and free-range at 17%. Organic and free-range eggs are most widely used by those aged 25-34. Whether because of higher awareness of and concern for the diet and health of young children in the household, or due to a generational tendency to experiment with and embrace natural and sustainable foods, this age group should prove most responsive to marketers’ attention.

Source: Mintel, 6/24

Whole eggs, or simply eggs, are composed of two distinct parts — the albumen, or white, and the yolk, or yellow — with each part providing different and important nutrients and functionalities. From the nutritional side, whole eggs are considered nutrient dense. A 50-gram egg (average weight of a large egg) contains 6.25 grams of protein, which is high-quality, complete protein, 5 grams of fat, the majority of which is unsaturated, and is loaded with essential vitamins and minerals. Thus, using eggs in a prepared food formulation helps build an attractive Nutrition Facts label. And of course, the natural and wholesome reputation of eggs is well received by consumers when eggs appear on ingredient statements. Functionally, eggs provide prepared foods with exceptional richness, in terms of flavor, color and texture. They can be used to assist in emulsifying, stabilizing, increasing volume, and improving machineability. Food formulators get all this from just one simple, all-natural ingredient — the egg.

Whole liquid eggs not only simplify the production of foods made with eggs, they provide consistency in measurement and ensure safety and quality. Prepared foods production facilities never have to deal with shelling eggs. There is no waste from breakage, which reduces production costs. The whole liquid egg product is ready to use. Plus, the person measuring ingredients does so by either volume (e.g., one gallon) or weight (50 pounds), depending on application and batch size. Often times egg product suppliers will sell pre-measured containers of whole liquid egg products for even easier incorporation into formulations. There’s less labor and less room for error.

Lastly, whole liquid eggs are pasteurized to destroy Salmonella and other bacteria, which ensures safety. Typically, shell eggs, once cleaned and broken, are separated into whites and yolks. The whites and yolks are separately pasteurized. If whole liquid egg product is being made, pasteurized egg whites and egg yolks from the same production batch are blended together in their entirety, in natural proportions. Egg products produced by combining whites and yolks from different production batches cannot be labeled as whole eggs. These products must be identified with an ingredient statement showing the content of the product as egg whites and egg yolks.

Traditional whole liquid egg products are perishable and should be kept refrigerated at 40° to 45°F. Typical shelf life is about a week. A specialty egg product known as Room Temperature Stable (RTS) Liquid Eggs is pasteurized whole eggs that are processed with sugar and work well with automated systems. They can replace liquid or frozen eggs on a pound-for-pound basis, although some formula adjustments need to be made to compensate for the sugar and the lower water content.

To locate a supplier of Refrigerated Liquid/Frozen Whole Egg, visit http://www.aeb.org/food-manufacturers/buyers-guide