About Alison Consumer Trends According to consumer research, nearly 90% of Americans believe eggs are a nutritious choice for breakfast, and 82% believe eggs are a healthier breakfast than cereal. Clearly, shoppers are looking for more protein in the morning, and they are increasingly interested in the fact that: Eggs are all-natural Eggs are a good source of high-quality protein Eggs are a good source of Vitamin D Eggs are gluten-free Eggs are 70 calories Egg purchase frequency continues to trend upwards, with the percentage of Heavy Egg Users (3+ cartons per month) increasing by 18% from 2009 to 2013, Medium Egg Users (2 cartons/month) increasing by 10%, and Light Egg Users (Less than 2 cartons/month) decreasing by 28% over that same timeframe. On average, respondents are eating/serving 5.5 eggs for breakfast during the workweek and 3.1 eggs on weekends – which is the equivalent of approximately three dozen eggs per month.

Dried Egg Products Usage Ingredient especially for the commercial food processing industry. Availability Foodservice - 6 oz pouches, 3 and 25 lb poly packs. Commercial - 25 and 50 lb boxes, 150, 175, and 200 lb drums. Advantages Long shelf life, stable and mixable. Processing Overview Shell eggs are washed, rinsed, sanitized, candled, broken, separated by automation, and monitored for quality and imperfections. Liquid whole eggs and yolks are clarified, filtered, and pasteurized using high-temperature, short-time (HTST) pasteurization equipment. After pasteurization, they are spray dried. The separated egg whites and egg yolks from the same production batch may be recombined in their entirety and identified as whole eggs. Egg whites are treated prior to drying to remove naturally occurring glucose and preserve color once dried, resulting in stabilized egg whites for longer storage. Glucose is sometimes removed from whole egg and yolk products for long storage stability. Egg whites are more sensitive to heat coagulation. They are clarified, filtered, glucose removed, and spray dried prior to pasteurization in a “hot room” maintained at a temperature of at least 130ºF (54ºC) for a minimum of seven to ten days. Industry practice often exceeds the required pasteurization regulations — pasteurized at a higher temperature — to improve gel strength. This assures kill of Salmonella if the moisture content of egg solids is kept at approximately 6%. The whipping ability of egg whites also improves when stored in the hot room at low moisture levels. Pan drying, which creates a flake or granular product, is another possible method for drying egg whites, but spray drying is generally used because quick exposure to very high temperatures prevents color and nutrient damage. Added Ingredients Sugar (sucrose), glucose-free corn syrup, or sodium silicoaluminate are sometimes added according to suppliers’ specifications, as anti-caking agents to assure a free-flowing product. Without these agents, the egg powder could harden and solidify — making it difficult to incorporate into food applications. Whipping additives like sodium lauryl sulfate may be added to dried egg whites at a level of less than 0.1% (by weight of the liquid prior to drying) to assure whipping ability and aeration properties. Carbohydrates can be added to increase the egg’s resistance to heat damage, e.g., less protein denaturation during drying and improve stability and flowability of dried egg products. Storage/Handling Store dried eggs as any other dried, powdered food in a cool, dark place. Once reconstituted, use immediately or store refrigerated for no more than four days. Products: Whole eggs or yolk solids Dried egg or scrambled egg mix Egg whites Free flowing whole eggs or yolk solids Stabilized (glucose-free) whole eggs or yolk solids Blends of whole eggs and/or yolk with carbohydrates

Boomer Health E very day, 11,000 baby boomers turn 50, and many thousands more are reaching retirement age. However, this generation anticipates experiencing a different style of retirement than their parents before them. Baby boomers are more concerned with health and vitality than any other generation. Many have ignored good health messages for years, hoping that science and medicine were the quick fix. Today more boomers are more concerned with attaining their goals of "adopting a healthy lifestyle". In the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, researchers determined that not only did eggs lend a greater sense of satiety than a more carbohydrate-laden breakfast with a similar calorie count, but that calorie intake following the egg breakfast remained lower, not just for the rest of the day, but for the next 36 hours. The researchers findings that blood lipids were not impacted during the two-month study, added to the body of research that concludes that healthy adults can enjoy eggs without significantly impacting their risk of heart disease. Versatility, portability, health and vitality—terms that describe the lifestyle baby boomers wish to, and can achieve, given the right foods. Manufacturers simply need to turn to the right ingredients, such as eggs, to help this important market segment reach their goals. For information about health and nutrition topics, visit the Egg Nutrition Center at www.enc-online.org

An Expert's POV on Gluten-Free and Soy Allergens A t the American Egg Board/Egg Nutrition Center, we are often asked if eggs should be considered gluten-free. With the incidence of gluten allergies on the rise, this is an important question that can have great health implications for many Americans. Gluten-Free According to Dr. Steven Taylor from The Food Allergy Research and Resource Program (FARRP) at the University of Nebraska, eggs should be considered gluten-free. Dr. Taylor points out that many gluten-free products contain eggs and they do not test positive for gluten. Although it is likely that egg-laying chickens eat wheat grain containing gluten it is also likely that the birds digest the gluten and break it down to it's constituent amino acids, which in turn are used to build chicken and egg proteins. Little if any of the gluten appears to make it to the egg in an intact form. Soy Allergens This appears to be the case regarding soy allergenicity and eggs as well. Although one recent study indicated that small amounts of isoflavones from the soy in chicken feed apparently is transferred to the egg, protein fractions from soy are broken down during the digestive process and are not likely transferred to the egg or meat of the chicken. So folks with soy allergies can enjoy eggs without worrying about a potential allergic reaction. Baked Egg Ingredients May Improve Tolerances Egg allergy affects around 2% of children younger than 5 years old. While studies show that 80% of children eventually outgrow egg allergy, and most in the general population do so by school age, there are still many children retaining egg allergy into their teenage years. It appears that the longer the egg allergy persists, the less likely tolerance develops. This makes eating a variety of foods, in particular outside the home, very challenging, as eggs are present in many prepared foods. According to a study published in the August 2012 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, research indicates that some egg-allergic individuals can tolerate baked egg (as in a muffin), as heating decreases allergenicity by altering the protein structure responsible for triggering an allergic reaction. Recognizing this, researchers characterized the immunologic changes associated with ingestion of baked egg and evaluated the role that baked egg diets play in the development of tolerance to regular egg. Results indicated that the majority of subjects with egg allergy can tolerate baked egg. Long-term ingestion of baked egg is well tolerated and accelerates the development of tolerance to regular egg. These findings present an important shift in the treatment paradigm for egg allergy, as clinical management can improve the quality of life of egg-allergic children and ideally, promote earlier tolerance development.

Yes But, What about The Cholesterol? For over 25 years eggs have unjustly been the icon for the fat, cholesterol and caloric excesses in the American diet, and the message to limit eggs to lower heart disease risk has been widely circulated. The “dietary cholesterol equals blood cholesterol” view is a standard of dietary recommendations, yet few consider whether the evidence justifies such restrictions. Over 50 years of cholesterol feeding studies show that dietary cholesterol does have a small effect on plasma cholesterol concentrations. Cholesterol feeding studies demonstrate that dietary cholesterol increases both LDL and HDL cholesterol with little change in the important LDL:HDL ratio. In fact, the American Heart Association has revised its dietary guidelines to allow an egg a day in your diet, if the rest of your daily cholesterol intake is limited. Many misconceptions about the function of cholesterol in human nutrition may lead young mothers to be needlessly concerned about providing eggs to their children. Human milk contains more cholesterol than both cow’s milk or infant formula. For the infant who is weaning from breast milk or formula, no significant effect was found in plasma cholesterol levels when infants age 6-12 months when fed a diet including 4 egg yolks a week. As a matter of fact, current American Heart Association recommendations are not to restrict fat in the diets of children under two years old. The benefits derived from cholesterol consumption during early childhood relate to cholesterol’s role in the development of the central nervous system as well as stimulation of enzymes needed for cholesterol degradation. Additionally, when finances are tight, eggs are extremely inexpensive for the powerhouse of nutrition that they are. Eggs are portion sized so there is little wastage and can be refrigerated for up to a month saving many inconvenient trips to the grocery store. Since eggs are so versatile they can be prepared in an infinite number of ways and mixed with so many other healthy ingredients they are sure to keep boredom from interfering with a nutritious intake, and will make you seem like a gourmet chef time and again.

What's in An Egg? What's in an egg? For only 70 calories each, eggs are rich in nutrients. They contain, in varying amounts, almost every essential vitamin and mineral needed by humans as well as several other beneficial food components. Egg protein is the standard by which other protein sources are measured. A large egg contains over six grams of protein. A large egg has 4.5 grams of fat, only 7 percent of the daily value. Only one-third (1.5) grams is saturated fat and 2 grams are mono-unsaturated fat. Nutrition Facts - Large Egg We applaud retailers taking steps to ensure that consumers are educated about the foods available to them and have an easy-to-understand, transparent way of assessing the health attributes of the foods they eat. And, we believe that eggs are a nutritional powerhouse people should know about when making food choices.

Egg Product Nutrition & Trends The American Egg Board develops single-focused information on a variety of functionality and egg nutrition topics. These topics are important to food formulators as they must consider each and every ingredient and how it performs functionally and nutritionally. Topics such as satiety, sodium reduction, gluten-free products, clean labels, and better-for-you-foods are all important to consumers. The following supplements seek to provide information relevant to these topics. Super Powers, Simple Ingredients Sodium Reduction An Expert's POV on Gluten-Free and Soy Allergens Accept No Substitutes Every Body Every Age The Secret's Out of the Shell Egg-cellent Foods, Egg-cellent Proteins Gluten-Free Comfort In Eggs Boomer Health Find True Satisfaction

Handling Eggs at Home Proper refrigeration, cooking, and handling should prevent most egg safety problems. Persons can enjoy eggs and dishes containing eggs if these safe handling guidelines are followed. 1. Don't Eat Raw Eggs This includes "health-food" milk shakes with raw eggs, Caesar salad, Hollandaise sauce, and any other foods like homemade mayonnaise, ice cream, or eggnog made from recipes in which the raw egg ingredients are not cooked. 2. Buy Clean Eggs At the store, choose Grade A or AA eggs with clean, uncracked shells. Make sure they've been refrigerated in the store. Any bacteria present in an egg can multiply quickly at room temperature. Don't wash eggs. At the plant, government regulations require that USDA-graded eggs be carefully washed and sanitized using special detergent. Then the eggs are coated with a tasteless, natural mineral oil to protect them. 3. Refrigerate Eggs Take eggs straight home and store them immediately in the refrigerator set at 40ºF or slightly below. Store them in the grocery carton in the coldest part of the refrigerator and not in the door. 4. Use Eggs Within Recommended Times Use raw shell eggs within 3 to 5 weeks. Hard-cooked eggs will keep refrigerated for 1 week. Use leftover yolks and whites within 4 days. If eggs crack on the way home from the store, break them into a clean container, cover it tightly, and keep refrigerated for use within 2 days. 5. Freeze Eggs for Longer Storage Eggs should not be frozen in their shells. To freeze whole eggs, beat yolks and whites together. Egg whites can be frozen by themselves. Use frozen eggs within a year. If eggs freeze accidentally in their shells, keep them frozen until needed. Defrost them in the refrigerator. Discard any with cracked shells. 6. Handle Eggs Safely Wash hands, utensils, equipment, and work areas with warm, soapy water before and after contact with eggs and dishes containing eggs. Don't keep eggs -- including Easter eggs -- out of the refrigerator more than 2 hours. Serve cooked eggs and dishes containing eggs immediately after cooking, or place in shallow containers for quick cooling and refrigerate at once for later use. Use within 3 to 4 days. 7. Cook Eggs Many cooking methods can be used to cook eggs safely including poaching, hard cooking, scrambling, frying, and baking. However, eggs must be cooked thoroughly until yolks are firm. Scrambled eggs should not be runny. Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160ºF as measured with a food thermometer. 8. Use Safe Egg Recipes Egg mixtures are safe if they reach 160ºF, so homemade ice cream and eggnog can be made safely from a cooked base. Heat the egg-milk mixture gently. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature or use a metal spoon (the mixture should coat the spoon). If in-shell pasteurized eggs are available, they can be used safely in recipes that won't be cooked. Dry meringue shells are safe. So are divinity candy and 7-minute frosting, made by combining hot sugar syrup with beaten egg whites. Meringue-topped pies should be safe if baked at 350ºF for about 15 minutes. Chiffon pies and fruit whips made with raw, beaten egg whites cannot be guaranteed safe. Substitute whipped cream or whipped topping. To make key lime pie safely, heat the lime (or lemon) juice with the raw egg yolks in a pan on the stove, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 160ºF. Then combine it with the sweetened condensed milk and pour it into a baked pie crust. Cook egg dishes such as quiche and casseroles to 160ºF as measured with a food thermometer.

Bacon, Spinach and Sweet Onion Quiche Ingredients & Directions Crust Preheat oven to 350˚F. Whisk together flour, thyme, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk together olive oil and water, and pour over dry ingredients, stirring with a fork until moistened. Press crumb mixture into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Crimp the edge or flatten with the tines of a fork. All-purpose flour 2 cups Chopped fresh thyme leaves 2 Tbsp sugar 1 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Baking powder 3/8 tsp Olive oil 7 Tbsp Cold water 1/4 cup INGREDIENTS: Filling Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet; discard any remaining drippings. Crumble bacon, and set aside. Add onion to drippings in skillet, and saute over medium heat about 8 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Add spinach, and cook, tossing frequently, just until spinach wilts. Spread spinach mixture over crust in pie plate; top with crumbled bacon. Whisk together eggs, milk, mustard, salt, and paprika. Pour egg mixture over spinach layer in pie plate. Crumble goat cheese over the top of the quiche. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until set in the center. To check for doneness, just use an oven mitt to give the oven rack a shake, and you’ll know the quiche is done when it no longer jiggles in the center. Remove from oven, cool slightly, then cut into 6 wedges and serve.

Product & Industry Opportunities Products & Industry Opportunities The functional attributes of egg products have beneficial uses in a variety of industries, both food and non-food related. Such properties as emulsification, coagulation, adhesion, and binding are critical to the success of many of the food products we eat every day. Eggs provide other functions such as calcium and protein to animal feed, whites in cosmetics, yolks in shampoos and conditioners, and as a culture medium in science and research. Industry BAKING Product Usage: Breads, pastries, custards, cakes, cookies Functional Rationale: Adds richness, increases volume, and improves machine flexibility DAIRY Product Usage: Ice cream, frozen desserts Functional Rationale: Improves texture, decreases melting point, eliminates crystallization CONFECTIONERY Product Usage: Bars, fondants, fillings Functional Rationale: Improves interior texture, stabilizes, adds richness and flavor SAUES Product Usage: Mayonnaise, salad dressings, dips, and prepared foods Functional Rationale: Binds sauces and emulsifies mixtures of oil and water MEAL REPLACEMENTS Product Usage: Energy bars for active and elderly Functional Rationale: Provides excellent protein source, as well as other functional benefits BEVERAGES Product Usage: Pourable yogurts, dietary drinks, and alcoholic beverages Functional Rationale: Adds creamy texture and clarifies certain wines and juices PREPARED FOODS Product Usage: An ingredient in frozen and prepared entrées and side dishes Functional Rationale: Improves texture and freeze/thaw microwave capabilities NUTRACEUTICALS Product Usage: A protein supplement and a source for extraction of beneficial substances Functional Rationale: Used for the extraction of lysozyme and other substances, such as yolk lecithin and sialic acid Baking FOSTINGS Product Usage: Thickens frostings and fillings Functional Rationale: Coagulates and creates firm, smooth base BREADS Product Usage: Standard breads and buns Functional Rationale: Used as an egg wash to brown the crust and for flavor and structure in specialty breads and rolls SWEET GOODS Product Usage: Egg custard fillings and tarts Functional Rationale: Gels filling and adds color and richness to mass, excellent emulsifier CAKES Product Usage: Cakes of all sorts Functional Rationale: Aeration adds volume, height, and builds ingredients into product matrix. Provide structure COOKIES & SPECIALTY ITEMS Product Usage: Meringues and other items where lighter texture is required Functional Rationale: Allows for aeration of baked goods. Provides structural benefits MUFFINS & POPOVERS Product Usage: Unique pastry effect obtainable only through use of eggs Functional Rationale: Binds and produces desirable texture and mouthfeel. Aeration builds volume FROZEN PRODUCTS Product Usage: Frozen dough and other items to control crystallization Functional Rationale: Creates desirable characteristics in reheating and baking HEALTHY SNACK BARS Product Usage: Protein-rich meal replacement bar Functional Rationale: One of the highest-quality protein sources available Other Industries COSMETICS Product Usage: The white is a popular ingredient for facial masks. The yolk is used in shampoos and conditioners. SCIENCE Product Usage: Both yolk and white are excellent culture media for laboratory growth of microorganisms. ANIMAL FEED & PET FOOD Product Usage: Ground dried shells are fed to laying hens as a source of calcium and protein. Egg is used to feed laboratory animals when a protein reference is required. Yolks and whites are used in pet foods. EGG PROTEINS Product Usage: Lysozyme is an excellent antibacterial agent in all foods. Avidin-biotin technology is used in medical diagnostic applications like immunology, gene probes, and histopathology. VACCINE MANUFACTURE Product Usage: Eggs provide an excellent medium for the growth of viruses for making vaccines.