VM 214-Animal Products & Public Health

6-Egg & Public Health

Dr. Mofleh S. Awawdeh

 Outline
• Egg formation and parts
• Egg composition and nutritive value
• Egg quality
• Egg and public health (diseases &
problems from consuming eggs)

M. S.
Egg Formation & Parts

M. S.
Egg Formation

M. S.
Ovulatio
n~0.5 hr

Egg-Shell
Formation ~ 20
hrs
Egg-white
depostion~3
hrs

Shell-membrane
Formation~1.5
hrs

M. S.
Egg Parts

Inner & Outer

Membranes

M. S.
Shell

• The first defense against bacterial

contamination

• Made mostly of calcium carbonate

• Shell strength is determined by hen

• Diet (calcium)
• Age
M. S.
Shell

• Each egg has ~17,000 pores on the shell

surface (more in larger end)
• Allow moisture and CO2 to move out and
air to move in to form the air cell

• Cuticle (bloom) covers the shell to block

the pores to keep egg fresh and prevent
contamination
M. S.
Shell Membranes

• Inner and outer shell membranes

• Protect against bacterial penetration

• Air cell forms between the two membranes

M. S.
 Albumen (Egg White)

• Contains > half the total protein, K, Na

• Cloudy appearance comes from CO22 which

escapes as the egg ages
• Older eggs are clearer than fresh eggs

• Tends to thin out with age

M. S.
Air Cell

• When egg is first laid it is warm, as it cools, the

content contracts and the inner shell
membrane separates from the outer shell
membrane forming the air cell
• Space between albumen and shell
• At large end of the egg
• Air cell becomes larger with age
• Size of air cell is used in egg grading

M. S.
 Germinal Disc

• Entrance leading into the center of the yolk

(contain the female genetic material)

• Sperm will enter through the germinal disc (if

it will be fertilized)

M. S.
 Chalaza

• Cord of egg white which secure the yolk in place

(center of the egg white)

• The more prominent the chalaza, the fresher the egg

M. S.
Vitelline Membrane
(Yolk Membrane)

• Clear seal which encloses egg yolk

• Protects the yolk from breaking

• It weakens with age (determine freshness of

egg)

M. S.
Yolk (Egg Yellow)

• Contains
• Almost all of the fat in the egg
• < half of the protein

• Contains more vitamins than egg white

• The yolk is a source of food for the embryo

M. S.
Egg Grading & Quality

M. S.
 Egg Grading and Quality
• Grade is determined by interior and
exterior egg quality
• No nutritional difference between grades
• But might determine freshness (interior)

• Exterior Grading

• Interior Grading
M. S.
Exterior Grading

• Based on shell
• Cleanliness
• Soundness
• Texture
• Shape

M. S.
 Interior Grading
• Graded as AA, A, B, and inedible

• Determined by
1. Candling method

2. Breakout method

M. S.
 Interior Grading
• Based on
• Size of air cell
• Generally the most important when there is
no blood/meat spot

• Yolk shadow outline

• Determined by albumen thickness

• Foreign bodies (mass or blood spots)

• Size and shape of yolk

M. S.
 Interior Grading-Air Cell
• Smaller = Higher Quality
• AA - Air Cell is 1/8 inch deep
• A - Air Cell is 3/16 inch deep
• B - Air Cell is 3/8 inch deep

M. S.
 Interior Grading

AA A B

M. S.
 Fresh Egg
• Small air cell size
• Separate yolk and white
• Cloudy albumin
• High ratio of thick to thin albumin
• Yolk in the center
• Intact yolk (not broken)
• Yolk is firm high above the white

M. S.
Fresh Egg

M. S.
Fresh Egg

M. S.
Egg Quality Quiz

M. S.
• The color of the egg
determines its
nutritive value, true or
false?

• Egg color is
determined by the
breed of the hen laying
the egg, all contain the
same nutritional value

M. S.
• A red spot found in an egg means it is
an unfertilized egg, true or false?

• “meat spots” red spots are

occasionally found on an egg yolk.
They are caused by a rupture of a
blood vessel on the yolks surface
during the formation of the egg
• Red spots are harmless
M. S.
• Eggs are only good until the freshness
date is up on the side of the package,
true or false?

• Eggs actually last 4 to 5 weeks beyond

the freshness date if kept in the
refrigerator

M. S.
 Storage Tips
• Freshness and to prevent contamination with
Salmonellae

1. Keep eggs cool in refrigerator 8 ooC

• Eggs age more in one day at room
temperature than in a refrigerator in one
week
• Fertile eggs held at a temperature above 29
oC for more than a few hours can allow the
o

embryo start to develop

M. S.
 Storage Tips
2. Store (and package) eggs with the small end
down
3. Do not store eggs with foods or products that
give off strong odors since eggs may absorb
the odors
4. Use eggs within 4 weeks of freshness date
5. Cook to a temperature of > 70 ooC
6. Wash and sanitize containers that have held
raw eggs
7. Do not use cracked eggs
M. S.
Egg Nutrient Composition

M. S.
 Nutrient Composition of Eggs %
Whole egg Albumen Yolk shell
100 58 31 11
Water 65.5 88 48 ----
Protein 11.8 11 17.5 ----
Fat 11 0.2 32.5 ----

m
g

M. S.
Cholesterol (mg)
0 213 0% 100%

M. S.
 Nutritive Value of White Vs. Yolk
• White
• More protein

• Yolk
• Almost all fat
• All cholesterol
• More vitamins (water & fat soluble)
• More calcium & iron

M. S.
Egg & Public Health

M. S.
 Positive
• High quality protein
• Vitamins & minerals
• Affordability
• Convenience
• Satiety
• Carotenoids

M. S.
 Satiety
• New research suggests starting with an
egg breakfast can

• Reduce hunger

• Help reduce caloric intake by more than 400

Calories over the next 24 hours

M. S.
 Carotenoids
• Carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin) are
zoochemicals

• Help preserve the health of the aging eye

against age-related degeneration and
cataracts

• Lutein as an antioxidant/anti-inflammatory

M. S.
 Cholesterol
• Early research didn’t separate saturated fat intake from
cholesterol intake
• Dietary cholesterol has very small relation with blood
cholesterol level
• Study at Harvard showed no difference in total blood
cholesterol levels between eating 1 egg daily and
eating <1 egg/week
• “The evidence that eating eggs is unrelated to heart
disease risk needs to be widely disseminated to health
professionals and the public so that everyone can
benefit from including eggs in the diet”

M. S.
 Negative
• A range of potential food poisoning bacteria
(E. coli, Klebsiella spp., S. aureus, C.
perfringens and Y. enterocolitica) may be
found in the feces of laying hens and on egg
shells

• These are not likely to present a significant hazard

in relation to use of table eggs but shell
contamination may result in the introduction of
contamination to other foods

M. S.
 Negative
• Salmonella Enteritidis is main pathogen
currently posing a major risk
• Salmonella spp. can contaminate egg contents
and membranes, or the outer surface of
eggshell
• If Salmonella contamination occurs before shell
formation, it is defined as ‘primary’ contamination
• If it occurs after the egg has been laid through
eggshell penetration, it is defined as ‘secondary’
contamination

M. S.
 Negative
• Most cases of salmonellosis are a result of
contact of prepared foods with raw poultry
meat or its juices-(cross contamination)
• Eating raw or rare meat (or egg) is also a
danger
• Other cases result from insufficiently cooked
poultry meat and eggs
• Especially when kept unrefrigerated for long period
of time-Shawrma

M. S.
 Negative
• Campylobacter Enterocolitis
• Poultry meat can be contaminated with
Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli
from feces

• Bacteria are killed at normal cooking

temperatures and do not multiply at
temperatures < 30 oo C

M. S.
Organic Eggs-Colors

M. S.
 Organic Eggs
• Hens are fed organic feed
• No genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
• No  synthetic fertilization
• No animal by-products
• Hens must have access to the outdoors and cannot
be raised in cages
• Cannot use antibiotics as feed additive (only in
infectious outbreaks)
• Only natural molting
• Standard animal welfare standards
• Organic certification is required
M. S.
M. S.
Plant Vs. Animal Eggs!!!???

M. S.