The SECRETs

The new, improved

eggrecent data
shows eggs are lower
in cholesterol (185
mg down from 215
mg) and higher in
vitamin D than
previously recorded.

OUT OF THE SHELL:

Egg Ingredients create better-for-you foods

Better-for-you formulating

received a boost earlier

this year when one staple,
highly functional ingredient experienced a changea change for the better. New data issued
by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that as the result of nationwide, randomized testing, the department determined that eggs overall have a lower cholesterol level and higher vitamin D content than previously recorded when last tested in 2002.
The nutrient composition of standard large eggs shows that the amount of cholesterol is
185 mg or 14 percent lower than previously recorded. The analysis also reported that large
eggs now contain 41 IU of Vitamin D, an increase of 64 percent. One explanation for this
is nutritional advances in poultry feed, according to Ken Anderson, Ph.D., professor in the
department of poultry science at North Carolina State University.
The good news for formulators is that egg ingredients correspondingly now contain
less cholesterol as well. This change for the better makes egg ingredients an attractive
choice in better-for-you foods.
The functional properties of egg ingredients are well documented and applauded in an
industry where the combination of function, nutrition and natural is a rarity. Egg ingredients score a triple play on these three attributes, but hit it out of the park when you add to
this mixture the fact that egg ingredients are sourced domestically and priced competitively.
AMERICAN EGG BOARD

Break it Down: Choline,

Lutein and Zeaxanthin

Diced vegetables
combine with egg
protein in a handy
pocket pita for a
nutrient-dense, yet
convenient breakfast
option.

In addition to the major vitamin and protein components egg ingredients supply, there are three
other nutritional benefits, unique because all three
occur naturally in eggs.
The first is choline, a nitrogen compound that
is part of a molecule commonly referred to as
lecithin. The body requires choline for cell membrane structure and function. It also aids in fetal
brain development and is necessary for synthesis
of neurotransmitters and for lipid transport from
the liver.
Choline deficiency can cause serious problems
in both adults and infants. In fact, scientists have
determined that choline is a critical nutrient for
pregnant women. Choline is exclusive to the yolk,
and 100 grams of liquid or frozen egg yolk contain approximately 695 mg of choline, whereas
100 grams of dried whole-egg product contains
1,149 mg, and 100 grams of dried egg yolk contains roughly 1,388 mg.
Marie Caudill, Ph.D., associate professor at
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, researches two

water-soluble micronutrients,
choline and folate. The
demand for choline is particularly high during pregnancy because of
the accelerated growth of the fetus and certain
maternal organs. This is an essential nutrient
particularly for pregnant women. Prenatal vitamins do not contain choline or only in minor amounts, so they need to find a good food
source of choline. One of their best choices is
the egg.

AMERICAN EGG BOARD

The Eyes Have It

A vote for egg ingredients is a move toward better
eye health, as the second and third ingredients in
this unique nutritional triolutein and zeaxanthinare two carotenoids that play an active role
in human eye health. They help absorb ultravioletblue wavelength light and act as antioxidants to
protect cells from damage from free radicals.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a
progressive eye disease faced by more than 15% of
the population aged 75 years or older and the leading cause of vision loss in the population aged 60
years and older. AMD is the single largest cause
of legal blindness in the United States. Lutein and
zeaxanthin appear to be the most potent nutrients to help prevent AMD from occurring; however, the body can obtain these carotenoids only
through the diet.
The Journal of Nutrition published a study that
shows when women ate six eggs per week for a
period of 12 weeks, lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations increased in the macular region of
the eye without any significant increase in their
cholesterol levels. According to this study, egg
intervention increases serum zeaxanthin and macular pigment optical density in women (2006;
136:2,568-2,573).
These carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, give
egg yolks their distinctive
golden yellow color. The
amount of lutein in egg ingredients will vary based upon their
concentration of egg yolk. While eggs
contain only small amounts of these nutrients, research has shown that lutein and
zeaxanthin in egg yolk may be more bioavailable than that from richer sources such as spinach or supplements, most likely due to the lipid
matrix of the yolk.

More than Satisfied

Successful dieters and dietitians realize the importance of nutrient density. Nutrient density equals
packing the greatest amount of good, solid nutrition into a food for the fewest calories possible to
help promote weight control and good health.
According to Mitchell Kanter, Ph.D., executive
director of the Egg Nutrition Center, Park Ridge,
IL, Whether due to convenience or our personal
preferences, the American diet has evolved into

Egg protein creates

a nutrient-dense
environment to
help contribute to a
dieters satiety.

a carbohydrate-laden,
high-sugar
environment. Yet protein is
more satisfying than
carbohydrates or fat.
Kanter continues, Not all proteins are
created equal. Using eggs in the diet is proven to show greater satiety leading to weight
loss for dieters.
While the carotenoids primarily exist in the
yolk, an eggs protein is found in both the egg
white and yolk. One egg or its equivalent has
70 calories but 6 grams of high-quality protein.
At any time of day an egg will provide a filling
meal or ingredient choice, but this choice can be
particularly important at breakfast due to this
protein content.
Donald K. Layman, Ph.D., professor emeritus
at the University of Illinois, says that for dieters,
eating a diet lower in carbohydrates and higher in
the right kind of protein than the average American diet, particularly at breakfast, is most beneficial for losing weight. The body, after sleeping or
a long fast, starts to break down not just body fat
but lean tissue as well. Dieting isnt just about
losing weight, but losing the fat, not lean tissue,
says Layman. It is important to have enough
high-quality protein at breakfast to protect those
lean tissues.

Glycemic response
On another health-related front, because egg ingredients are virtually free of carbohydrates, adding them to a formulation does not contribute to
the foods glycemic carbohydrate content.
The exceptions to this content are egg ingredients identified as sugared. Sugar or sometimes
other carbohydrate ingredients are added to egg
products to improve their functional performance and physical properties, says Dr. Glenn
Froning, American Egg Boards technical advisor. However, the majority of egg ingredients
have no added carbohydrates. According to
AACC International, St. Paul, MN, glycemic
carbohydrates elicit a measurable glycemic response, or change in blood glucose concentration, after ingestion. The carbohydrates that do
this are sometimes referred to on a food label as
available carbohydrates, or net carbohydrates.
Trans fats constitute another food label hot button. Egg yolks contain a negligible amount of
naturally occurring trans fats. For example, 100

grams of liquid egg yolk contains a mere 0.24 grams

of trans fatty acids. The level is low enough that if no
other or very little trans fatty acids are included in a
formulation, labels can read 0 grams trans fats on
the Nutrition Facts label.

Fad or Fixture?
While dietary fads come and go, food issues based
on true health concerns resonate with the consumer
and will remain or even grow. Such is the case with
gluten-free formulating, which is seeing steady
growth globally. Packaged Facts is predicting that
by 2015 the gluten-free market in the U.S. alone
will exceed $5 billion, up from $2.6 billion in sales
for 2010. According to Mintel GNPD, between 2009
and 2010 over 27,900 new products were
introduced into the United States
markets; however, more than 840
unique companies introduced
over 3,000 new gluten-free
products into the United
States to meet consumer
demand.
Emulsifiers, eggs and
gums help replace the
functional properties of the gluten. In
addition, gluten-free
flours such as rice, tapioca or potato starch, for
example, lack the protein
of their enriched wheat
flour counterparts, so egg

This mini quiche

delivers high-quality
protein along with
an impressive array
of other nutrients.

AMERICAN EGG BOARD

NPD Group research shows the percentage of

consumers who frequently check the Nutrition
Facts Panel has ranged from a high of 61% to 50%
since 1995, stating in January of this year that the
panel could use some revamping.
Revamping might be on the way. The Nutrition
Keys Initiative, instituted last November, compels
product developers to be even more conscious of
creating better-for-you foods with nutritional or
health benefits that are easy to communicate to the
consumer. Nutrition Keys is a voluntary program
that allows manufacturers to provide a quick burst
Egg ingredients
contribute functional
of nutrition information on the front label.
ingredients play an improperties that
With this new front-of-package labeling, manportant
role
not
only
functionhelp solve tricky
ufacturers
have just a brief chance to promote their
ally
but
nutritionally
as
well,
boosting
the
nutritional
formulation issues
in gluten-free breads
concept and their message amidst heavy competiprofile of a gluten-free bread or roll.
and cakes.
tion from other manufacturers who have reformuGlobally and nationally, sodium reduction is on
lated to create a better-for-you version of a new or
the radar screen for food product developers, with
existing product, says Elisa Maloberti, director
the Institute of Medicine last year urging the FDA
of egg product marketing, American Egg Board.
to take action regarding a phased-in approach to
Egg ingredients help create positive messages for
reduce sodium levels in the U.S. food supply. Egg
the basic icons displayed in this program on the
products are naturally low in sodium and possess
package front, particularly if a company wants to
multifunctional components for foaming, bindkeep trans fats at zero, indicate a higher
protein content or lower calories, as just
a few examples.
The egg is one of the few natural sources of vitamin D, in addiThe four basic icons, for calories, satution to lutein, zeaxanthin, choline and a host of other vitamins
rated fat, sodium and sugars, represent
key nutrients for which dietary guidance
and minerals. The yolk provides the majority of the vitamins and
recommends limiting consumption in the
minerals found in an egg, including most of the choline and vitadiet. Certain labels could include nutrients to encouragenutrients needed to
min B12, and approximately 40 percent of the protein. One large
build a nutrient-dense diet. In addition
egg, or its equivalent within the further processed egg ingredito the basic four icons, packages may include up to two nutrients to encourage:
ent category, provides 6 grams of highly digestible protein
potassium, fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitaeggs are rated 1.0 or a perfect score on the PDCAAS (Protein
min C, vitamin D, calcium and iron. Using one ingredient, the egg, can help creDigestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score). Visit USDA National
ate a positive message with more than one
Nutrient Database for Standard Reference website for current
of the available icons, adding extra value
to its inclusion within a formulation.
nutrient analysis of various egg products at www.nal.usda.gov/
With egg ingredients available in
fnic/foodcomp/search/
liquid, frozen or dried forms, as whole
eggs, yolks, whites or tailored to meet
processing specifications, there is an
egg ingredient to suit any product development
ing and emulsifying depending upon the requirerequirement. And now with the added imporments of the end product.
tance of the revamped Nutrition Keys on the front
of the package, egg ingredients not only help creNew Styles in Nutrition Labels
ate a cleaner label, but a label that can commuThe bottom line for any ingredient, no matter how
nicate positive nutritional benefits with a single
packed with health benefits or vitamins is, are
ingredient: the egg.
consumers reading the Nutrition Facts Panel?

AMERICAN EGG BOARD