Eggs Flashcards
When selecting eggs
Buy fresh - check bbd
Should be heavy for size
No cracks or breakages
Check carton for information (size, class/quality, farming method no.)
Farming methods (list)
3 cage/battery
2 barn
1 free range
0 organic
3/Cage/Battery Eggs
Hens are kept in cages
Large warehouse
Slanted floors
Artificially heated
Conveyer belt
2/Barn Eggs
Hens kept indoors but not caged
1/ Free Range Eggs
Hens roam between the outdoors and indoors
0/ Organic Eggs
Free range eggs produced to organic standards
No GM feed and restricted use of antibiotics
Birds aren’t treated with growth hormones
More expensive
Grading eggs
Size
XL
L
M
S
Grading eggs
Class/Quality
A (fresh)
B (industry)
Labelling Regulations:
Egg packaging
Egg packs must declare this information in clearly legible and visible type:
Name, Address and No of the packer
Quality of the eggs (A or B)
Farming method
Size
Best before date
Advice to customers in storage instructions
Number of eggs
Labelling Regulations:
Eggs
Each egg is stamped with:
Bord Bia Quality Mark
Farming method number
Two letters for country
Code with a letter and two numbers identifying the county and farm (traceability)
Best before date
Quality assured eggs
Bord Bia operates the Sustainable Egg Assurance Scheme to ensure best practice at all stages of egg production
All hens are certified salmonella free
Egg producing farms comply with the standards of the scheme
Producer is awarded the QA mark
Storage of eggs
In refrigerator
Pointed downwards (prevent chalazae breaking)
Away from strong smelling foods
Use at room temp (take out 1h before use, prevents curdling and cracking)
Use within recommended time
Stalling of eggs
Washing and not refrigerating increases risk of staling
Air space increases in size as water evaporates
Eggs can be preserved by freezing (de shelled) or as dried egg
Could smell of hydrogen sulphide
Testing eggs for freshness
Heavy for size
Sink in water (stale float)
When deshelled, fresh eggs have a well rounded yolk and jelly like white
(Stale eggs have a flat yolk and a watery white)
Properties of eggs
(List)
Coagulation
Emulsification
Aeration/ foam formation
Coagulation
Protein in eggs coagulated during cooking
Egg white (60-65)
Egg yolk (65-68)
Overcooking causes egg proteins to clump together, squeezing out the water (curdling)
Examples of coagulation: boiled, fried, scrambled
Emulsification
Egg yolk contains the natural emulsifier lecithin, which binds oil and water together
An emulfifier is a molecule that has a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail
The hydrophilic head attaches itself to the water molecule while the hydrophobic tail attaches itself to the oil molecule
Prevents the two substances from separating
Stabilisers maintain the emulation (pectin, gelatine)
Used in mayonnaise and hollandaise sauce
Aeration/ Foam Formation
Whisking eggs introduces air, which is aided by the addition of sugar
The heat produced by the friction slightly coagulates the protein around the air bubbles.
Cooking further coagulates the protein
Used in sponge cakes
Effects of cooking on eggs
Protein coagulates
Pathogenic bacteria such as salmonella are destroyed
Loss of B group vitamins (thiamine)
Egg white changes to opaque
Curdles is overheated
Difficult to digest if overheated
Protein
HBV
Growth and repair
Albumin, lecithin, globulin
Easily digested form
Fat
One third of the egg is fat
Heat and energy
Saturated fat present in a fine emulsion because of lecithin
Easy to digest
Cholesterol is present
Carbohydrates
None
Heat and energy
Serve with one
Vitamins
ADEK in yolk
Beta carotene gives yolk it’s yellow colour
B1 B2 B12 and niacin in yolk and white
No C
Minerals
Calcium
Iron
Phosphorus
