Articles
All About Eggs
Many eggs reach stores only a few days after the hens lay them. Egg cartons display the "Best Before Date". This will be not more than 49 days, from time of delivery for processing (according to Golden Egg Farms™). If you buy them with a "Best Before Date" that is near to expiring then, they will need to be consumed within a few days to ensure quality. They should be refrigerated in their carton in the coldest part of the refrigerator, not the door, to prevent significant quality loss.
Eggs are usually stamped using the Julian Date. You may refer to the Julian Date converter in order to determine the exact date that your eggs were processed. Eggs are usually delivered at least twice a week but large producers sometime deliver 3 times a day.
Eggs are usually stamped individually with the first line:
Walaid (laid in WA) and
The second line is the Julian Date, Producer and Packaging Company.
240pb10 means for example
240=Aug28 (Julian Date) pb=code for producer, 10=code for Golden Egg Farms who checked and packaged them.
To determine Julian Dates:
You can use the online Julian Date Converter provided by the USDA to calculate the day/month pack date from the Julian Date.
To calculate your own Julian dates, you can have a look at our Julian Date Calendar
Producers prefer a brown-shelled egg, as they are tougher. If you want white eggs to colour then go directly to a producer. They are quite rare. Brown eggs are more difficult to check for blood spots but with new candling machinery, this is much improved. Blood spots can be cause when the chicken is very young or stressed.
You may purchase different types of
eggs.
Caged Eggs, they are the most common and the cheapest
Free range- not caged and run around outside
All Grain- vegetarian- fed only on grain
Barn-laid (in a barn but not caged)
Ready Eggs- frozen egg white with a mixture added for the yolk- cholesterol free and available in Coles New World. Good in cooking for people with high cholesterol.
About the Egg
The shape may be described as oval.
The normal egg weight range is 35gms to 77gms
The Proportions and solids contents of the components of the average egg are:
% of whole egg
Shell=10.5%
Yolk=31%
White=58.5%
Total Edible=89.5%
Egg Anatomy
The shell, the first line of defence against the entry of bacteria, can be brown or white. The nutritional value of the egg is the same. It is composed mainly of calcium carbonate. Approximately 8,000 to 10,000 tiny pores allow moisture and gases in (O2) and out (CO2).
There are two shell membranes the inside of the shell. One membrane sticks to the shell and one surrounds the white (albumen). It is the second line of defence against bacteria and is composed of thin layers of protein fibres.
The germinal disc appears as a slight depression on the surface of the yolk. It is the entry for the fertilization of the egg.
There are two layers of white albumen one thin and one thick. It is mostly made of water, high quality protein and some mineral. It represents 2/3 of the egg's weight (without shell). When a fresh egg is broken, the thick albumen stands up firmly around the yolk.
The chalaza is a pair of spiral bands that anchor the yolk in the centre of the thick albumen. The fresher the egg the more prominent the chalazas. This is unnoticeable when the egg is cooked.
Yolk membrane (vitelline membrane) surrounds and holds the yolk. The fresher the egg the stronger the membrane.
The egg yolk is a major source of vitamins and minerals, including protein and essential fatty acids. It represents 1/3 of the egg's weight (without shell). The yolk's colour ranges from light yellow to deep orange, depending on the hen's food.
The air cell forms at the wide end of the egg as it cools after being laid. The fresher the egg the smaller the air cell although this isn't necessary a good measure of freshness as this varies depending on the chicken.
Egg and Nutrition
Recent research has shown an egg a day will NOT increase the risk of heart disease or stroke for healthy individuals with normal cholesterol.
Some individuals with elevated cholesterol may be very sensitive to the cholesterol in egg yolks. There is 215 mg of cholesterol in one 55-gram egg. We recommend keeping the cholesterol in the diet below 200 mg on a daily basis as much as possible. It is wise in these cases to limit eggs to no more than 2 a week. Frozen egg white with a mixture added for the yolk: e.g. "Ready Egg™" may be used very successful instead of fresh eggs in quiches, baking and as an omeletts or scrambled eggs.
Eggs have excellent nutritional value, being a complete protein and are nutrient dense. A 55 gram egg contains only 338KJ (81 calories) while providing several essential nutrients. It has all the essential amino acids needed in the building and repair of the cells in muscles and other body tissues.
Vitamins A, D and E are fat soluble and only available in the yolk. Vitamin A or retinol gives the yolk its orange colour. Most of the B group vitamins are in both the yolk and the white although the yolk has greater quantities. Two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, are both abundant in egg yolks, and help protect against macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in older Australians. The yolk has 2.5 grams monosaturated fats, 0.7 grams of polyunsaturated fat and 1.8 grams of saturated fats.
A 35-year-old women consuming one egg will get the following percent of her recommended daily allowances.
- protein 14%
- calcium 3%
- iron 7%
- phosphorus 9%
- zinc 4%
- niacin equivalent 12%
- riboflavin 11%
- thiamine 3%
- total retinol 12%
- folate 10%
Eggs are a healthy choice and for those that tend towards a vegetarian diet, it can make a valuable contribution to the complete protein of their diet. They definitely have a place in a well balanced diet.
Try some egg based dishes from the web site:
Spinach Cocktail Bites, Time Saver Cheese and Ham Puff, Baked Frittata, Quiche, Vegetable Cheese Roulade, Cheesy Pumpkin Ricotta bake, Low Fat Salmon Quiche, Cream Caramel, Honey Bread Pudding, Spanish Cream or Strawberry Meringue Roll
A special thankyou to the Egg Industry Research and Development Council, Golden Egg Farms and University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County Food Reflections Newsletter.
Added to site on : Tuesday, 9 September 2003