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Published on: January 27, 2021
Physical quality and composition of retail shell eggs.
D R Jones1, M T Musgrove, K E Anderson
1USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Egg Safety and Quality Research Unit, Athens, GA 30606, USA. Deana.Jones@ars.usda.gov
Poultry Science
|February 26, 2010
Summary
Consumer shell eggs vary in quality and composition. Brown eggs generally show stronger shells, while specific production methods impact nutritional content. No single egg type consistently outperformed others across all quality metrics.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Animal Science
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- The US retail market offers diverse specialty shell eggs.
- Consumer choices are influenced by production methods and nutritional claims.
- Understanding physical and compositional differences is crucial for informed purchasing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess physical quality and compositional variations in different types of shell eggs.
- To compare traditional, cage-free, free-roaming, pasteurized, nutritionally enhanced, and fertile eggs.
- To identify differences between white and brown shell eggs.
Main Methods:
- A survey of large white and brown shell eggs from US retail markets.
- Eggs were purchased from identical brands and retail outlets over three replicates.
- Physical quality (Haugh units, albumen height, egg weight, shell strength) and composition (total solids, crude fat) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Haugh unit values ranged from 66.67 to 84.42; albumen height followed a similar trend.
- Brown eggs were heavier (61.12g vs 58.85g) and had greater shell strength (4,130.61g force vs 3,690.31g force).
- Cage-free, n-3-enhanced white eggs showed the highest percentage of total solids (25.07%) and crude fat (11.71%).
Conclusions:
- Significant differences exist in shell egg quality and composition based on production methods and color.
- While brown eggs exhibited superior shell strength and weight, specific enhanced white eggs led in fat and solids content.
- No single egg type consistently provided the highest or lowest values across all tested attributes, indicating variability within categories.
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