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Egg and Egg Product Safety E gg can be part of a healthy diet. However, they are perishable just like raw meat, poultry and fish. To be safe, they must be properly refrigerated and cooked. Egg Safety Egg Product Safety Handling Eggs at Home Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions Q: Are brown eggs more nutritious than white eggs? A: The color of the egg’s shell is determined by the breed of the hen. Since many consumers prefer white eggs producers most often raise White Leghorn hens, which produce eggs with white shells. Consumers who live in the New England area often prefer brown shelled eggs, so egg producers there raise breeds such as the Rhode Island Red which produces brown shell eggs. The color of the shell has nothing to do with egg quality, flavor, or nutritional value, only the breed of hen laying the eggs. However, brown shell eggs are usually slightly higher in price than white eggs because the brown shell producing hens are larger birds and require more feed for the eggs produced. Q: Are raw eggs safe to eat? A: Raw eggs or any products containing raw eggs should not be eaten. Even though the likelihood that an egg might contain bacteria is very small, the only way to ensure that any bacteria may be present is killed is to properly cook the egg. According to the FDA Food Code, eggs for immediate consumption can be cooked to 145°F for 15 seconds. If the eggs are to be used in a recipe with other food items, dilute the eggs with liquid or other ingredients, such as milk or sugar (at least ¼ cup liquid or sugar per egg as in custard) and cook the egg mixture to 160°F, which will destroy harmful bacteria in a few seconds. Adequate cooking brings eggs and other foods to a temperature high enough to destroy bacteria that might be present. If a recipe calls for raw eggs, use pasteurized shell eggs or pasteurized egg products. Q: Can I eat eggs if I’m pregnant or breastfeeding? A: Eggs are as safe to eat during pregnancy or nursing as any other time of life – provided they are handled properly and cooked adequately. In fact, according to the Egg Nutrition Center, essential nutrients within the egg can support a healthy pregnancy, growth and development of children, and muscle mass and function during aging. Eggs are an excellent source of choline, which plays an essential role in fetal and infant brain development, and adequate choline during pregnancy may help prevent neural tube birth defects. For other egg nutrition questions, visit the Egg Nutrition Center (www.eggnutritioncenter.org ). Q: What are organic and free-range eggs and do they differ nutritionally? A: Organic eggs are eggs produced by hens fed “organic” feeds grown without pesticides, chemical or commercial fertilizers. In addition, there are no pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides added to the feed. There are no known nutritional differences between organic eggs and regular eggs. Free-range eggs are produced by hens raised outdoors or with daily access to the outdoors. The hens are free to run around, but in the event of bad weather the hens are kept inside. True free-range eggs are only available on a seasonal basis in the United States. The term free-range can also refer to eggs produced by hens raised inside on an open floor rather than in cages. Free range eggs do not differ from regular eggs in terms of nutritional value or cholesterol level; however, they are more expensive due to production costs. Q: Where are the vitamins and minerals located in the egg? A: The yolk or yellow portion of the egg contains a higher proportion of the egg’s vitamins and minerals than the white. Please refer to the chart (right) for the list of nutrients contained in one egg. Q: Where can I learn more about egg nutrition? A: Eggs are a natural source of high-quality protein and a number of other nutrients – at only about 70 calories per egg. Nutrition research suggests eggs can play a role in weight management, muscle strength, healthy pregnancy, brain function, eye health and more. For more information on all egg nutrition questions, visit the Egg Nutrition Center ( www.eggnutritioncenter.org ). Q: What is the best temperature to cook an egg? A: Adequate cooking brings eggs to a temperature high enough to destroy bacteria that might be present in the egg yolk or egg white. Egg white coagulates at 144-149° F, yolk coagulates at 149-158° F, and whole eggs coagulate at 144-158° F. A food thermometer is an invaluable tool to quickly check for the right temperature. Q: What should I do with leftovers containing eggs? A: Promptly after serving, refrigerate any leftovers containing eggs. Thoroughly reheat leftovers and eat within two to three days. Without tasting them, discard any egg-containing leftovers that have been refrigerated more than three days. A good resource to help manage leftovers is the USDA FoodKeeper app. This application provides food storage information and enables alerts to be set up to contact you before food spoils. Q: How long are hard-cooked eggs safe to eat? Why do hard-cooked eggs spoil faster than fresh eggs? A: Hard-cooked eggs should be refrigerated within two hours of cooking and used within one week. Shell eggs have a protective coating that is washed away when they are hard-cooked. This leaves the pores in the shell open for bacteria to enter. Q: What exactly is cross-contamination and what should I do about it? A: Bacteria can spread from people to food, or from one food or piece of equipment to another. This is called cross-contamination. To help prevent cross-contamination, it’s important to separate foods—especially raw meat, seafood, eggs, and poultry—from other foods. Also wash hands, utensils and surfaces with warm, soapy water before and after handling raw eggs. Q: Is it safe to use eggs that have cracks? A: Never purchase cracked eggs, because bacteria can enter eggs through cracks in the shell. If eggs crack on the way home, break them into a clean container, cover it tightly, keep refrigerated, and use within two days. When preparing, be sure to cook eggs thoroughly, with both the white and yolk firm. Nutrient Content of One Large Egg Whole, Raw, Fresh Nutrient Calories Total Fat (g) Saturated Fat (g) Trans Fat (g) Cholesterol (mg) Sodium (mg) Carbohydrate (g) Protein (g) Vitamin A (IU) Vitamin D (mg) Calcium (mg) Thiamine Vitamin B6 (mg) Vitamin C (mg) Iron (mg) Riboflavin (mg) Folate (mcg) Vitamin B12 (mcg) Zinc (mg) Phosphorus (mg) Lutein & Zeaxanthin (mcg) Choline (mg) U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 2007. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release #20. Nutrient Data Laboratory (www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp) USDA Database for the Choline Content of Common Foods Differences in nutrient levels between egg white, egg yolk and whole egg are due to sampling procedure *Sadler, Strain and Caballero (1999) Encyclopedia of Human Nutrition. San Diego, Academic Press Whole Egg 72 5 1.5 0.05* 212 70 0.4 6.3 244 18 27 0.03 0.07 0 0.09 0.24 24 0.65 0.56 96 166 125 White 16 0.06 0 0 0 55 0.2 3.6 0 0 2 0 0 0 0.03 0.15 1 0.03 0.01 5 0 1.1 Yolk 54 4.5 1.6 0.05* 210 8 0.6 2.7 245 18 22 0.03 0.06 0 0.46 0.09 25 0.33 0.39 66 186 113.3

Advantages of Egg Products Direct from Mother Nature, with a touch of modern technology that cracks, separates and packages convenient forms of whole eggs whites and yolks, egg products provide food formulators with important benefits: Functional : Egg products supply foods with more than 20 functional properties including aeration, binding, coagulation, emulsification, foaming and whipping, to name a few. Ease of use : Egg products are ready to use immediately, e.g., liquid or dried egg that is compatible with mechanized proportioning systems in food plants, or pre-cooked egg entrees ready to heat and serve. Convenience : Ready-to-use egg products just need to be measured for use – many egg products even come pre-measured. Bulk quantities may be customized with ingredients already incorporated into the egg product to reduce labor. Equipment needs are minimal, clean-up is simplified, and, except for packaging materials, there is no waste for disposal. Economy : Reduced handling, minimal shipping cost and elimination of breakage result in reduced-cost formulations. They are one of the most economical complete protein sources available. Safety : Egg products are pasteurized to destroy Salmonella and other bacteria. Minimal Storage Space : A 100-pound drum of dried egg white solids is equivalent to the whites from about 28 cases (360 large shell eggs per case) of shell eggs. 100-pounds of dried whole egg solids are the equivalent to about 10 cases of large shell eggs. A 30-pound container of frozen eggs is equivalent to about 22 dozen large shell eggs. Uniformity : Egg products can be produced to definite specifications to assure consistent performance in formulations. Stability : When properly stored according to their type, egg products will keep their quality over several months. Quality : Most egg products are virtually indistinguishable from fresh eggs in nutritional value, flavor and most functional properties. These qualities are well retained during proper storage.

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.

Find True Satisfaction Eggs possess unique nutritional properties and contribute desirable functional attributes unequaled by any single egg alternative. Eggs also contribute a clean, natural image to help create a consumer -friendly ingredient statement for packaged or prepared foods. Researchers discovered that compared to a bagel-based breakfast of equal weight, the egg breakfast induced greater satiety and significantly reduced the participants' food intake for the rest of the day. Eggs have an impressive macronutrient composition to contribute to their satiety impact. A registered dietitian and culinary instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York called eggs a 'nutritional powerhouse.' And no wonder, eggs provide some of the highest quality protein of any food, as well as being one of the few nondairy sources of vitamin D. For more on the story of egg proteins, independent scientific studies and highlights of the egg's amazing functional properties download the pdf titled: Find True Satisfaction. For information about health and nutrition topics, visit the Egg Nutrition Center at www.enc-online.org

Hazelnut Praline Paradise Chocolate Puff Pastry Ingredients: 960g Bread Flour 144g Unsalted Butter 22.5g Salt 470g Water 75g Cocoa Powder Method: ⁃ Mix together water and salt in stand mixer. ⁃ Add all other ingredients and mix until smooth. ⁃ Leave to set in refrigerator. Ingredients: 500g Unsalted Butter 100g Cocoa Powder Method: ⁃ Mix together all ingredients in stand mixer. ⁃ Shape dough and leave to rest in refrigerator. Ingredients: 10g U.S Dried Egg Yolk Puff Pastry Icing Sugar Laminate Dough ⁃ During the laminate process, roll out the dough until 1.5 mm thick. ⁃ Cut oblong shapes of the puff pastry, place on the baking sheet and leave to rest for 20 min in the refrigerator. ⁃ Sprinkle with icing sugar and dried egg yolk. Bake in a oven at 180℃ for 15 and 220℃ for 5 min. Bake in a oven at 180℃ for 30 mins. Praline Creme Brulee Ingredients: 40g U.S. Liquid Egg Yolks 200g Whipping Cream 0.5pc Vanilla Pod 1g Cinnamon Powder 30g Hazelnut Praline 40g Caster Sugar 2g Gelatine Leaves Method: ⁃ Put the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water to soften. ⁃ Heat the cream with the vanilla pod, cinnamon powder and hazelnut praline in a pan until just boiling. ⁃ Whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar in a large bowl until thickened slightly. Remove the vanilla pod, then pour the hot cream over the egg mixture and whisk thoroughly. ⁃ Return the custard to the pan and heat gently, stirring until the mixture has thickened ⁃ Whisk in the gelatine, then pour the custard in a Silicone baking mould, let cool and freeze. Chocolate Cream Ingredients: 50g U.S. Liquid Whole Egg 60g U.S. Liquid Egg Yolks 180g U.S. Liquid Egg Whites 125g Whole Milk 125g Whipping Cream 1 pc Vanilla Pod 320g 70% Chocolate 80g Caster Sugar 85g Caster Sugar Method: ⁃ Boil the milk & whipping cream with vanilla pod, Infuse with the vanilla pod. ⁃ Pour into chocolate and stir until chocolate melted. ⁃ Beat whole egg and egg yolks until thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in caster sugar. ⁃ Beat egg whites with the caster sugar to soft peaks. ⁃ Mix a part of the egg with the chocolate mixture, blend and fold in the remaining eggs. ⁃ Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture. Crunchy Meringue Hazelnut Spread Ingredients: 90g U.S. Dried Egg Whites (reconstituted) 150g Caster Sugar 3g Cream of Tartar 1 Pinch of Salt 200g Hazelnut Praliné 50% 100g 40% Milk Chocolate 100g Cocoa Nibs Method: ⁃ Meringue Cookies: Combine egg white, cream of tartar, and salt, beat the egg whites at slow speed until the foam throughout, add the sugar, and beat to soft peaks. Baked on 105°C for 1 hour. ⁃ Melt the chocolate with the praline at 45°C. ⁃ Add the meringue cookies with cocoa nibs. Assembly Fill the Millefeuille, alternating the layers between Crunchy Meringue Hazelnut Spread, Praline Creme Brûlée, Chocolate Cream, Chocolate Shavings, Icing Sugar & Hazelnut. Noted: Reconstitution Ratio for U.S. Dried Egg White 1 part Egg White Powder : 7 Parts Water

Here's to Your Health T here are a dozen reasons why you and your family should eat a breakfast that includes eggs, as well as other nutrient-rich foods, to help fuel your body and mind: Tip#1 Expert Tip from Jackie Newgent, RD, CND Many people focus too much on what not to eat, but research now consistently recommends that there is something important to eat - protein...high-quality protein, in particular. All-natural, high-quality protein, like the type found in eggs, provides active kids and adults sustained energy for their busy days. One of the easiest ways to get high-quality protein is to include an egg a day into your balanced eating plan. Tip#2 Start the day off right with breakfast Research shows there are cognitive benefits to eating breakfast, especially for children, such as improved memory recall time, improved grades and higher test scores. Tip#3 Make time for breakfast Research shows that eating breakfast is a sign of overall health and good behavior in children. Breakfast eaters are less likely to miss school due to illness or other issues and are less likely to be tardy to class. Tip#4 High-quality protein foods Research shows that eating high-quality protein foods for breakfast, like eggs, can help you feel more satisfied and energized throughout the day. Make a batch of hard-cooked eggs so you'll have an all-natural, high-quality protein on-the-go meal or snack ready for the busy week ahead. Tip#5 Hit the gym - then crack some eggs High-quality proteins provide the "building blocks" your body needs to grow and perform properly. The amount and quality of protein you eat directly affects muscle mass, strength and function. Reach for high-quality protein foods, like eggs, lean beef and low fat dairy products after exercise to encourage muscle tissue repair and growth. Tip#6 Be active Protein helps active individuals build and maintain muscle mass and helps older adults prevent sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength. Looking to please picky eaters? Eggs are a great choice for kids, parents and grandparents because they can be made in more than one hundred ways to please everyone's taste buds. Tip#7 Think outside the box Studies show that eggs can provide a "time release" source of energy that helps maintain blood glucose levels and helps people feel full and energized longer. Tip#8 Remember your eggs at breakfast A recent scientific study shows that eating eggs for breakfast can help overweight dieters lose more weight, lower their body mass index and shrink their waist more than people who eat a bagel breakfast of equal calories. This study supports previous research, published in Journal of the American College of Nutrition, which showed that people who ate eggs for breakfast felt more satisfied and ate fewer calories at the following meal. Tip#9 Affordable sources of high-quality protein At a cost of approximately 15 cents (USD) each, eggs are one of the most affordable sources of high-quality protein you can buy, and they can be combined with almost anything you already have in your refrigerator or pantry Tip#10 Don't skip the yolk! When eating eggs, don't skip the yolk! One egg provides six grams of all-natural, high-quality protein. While many think that the egg white has all of the protein, the yolk actually provides nearly half of it. Tip#11 Nutritional bang for your buck The quality of egg protein is so high that scientists frequently use it as the gold standard for measuring the protein quality of other foods. Help trim your waistline and your grocery bill by filling your cart with eggs for breakfast - they can help you avoid unnecessary snacking and stay energized throughout the day. Tip#12 Eggs are all-natural Eggs are all-natural and have high-quality protein and 13 essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in vary amounts, all for 70 calories. And in less than two minutes, you can prepare an egg breakfast that can help jump-start your day. Jackie Newgent, RD, CDN is a culinary nutritionist, eco-cuisine expert, and author of Big Green Cookbook (Wiley, 2009). She appears frequently as a health and culinary nutrition expert on television and radio. Her work is seen in national publications, including Glamour, Woman's Day, and Health. The author of the award-winning The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook, Newgent is also an instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education.

An Egg a Day is MORE Than Okay! Even though eggs are not the major contributor of cholesterol in the American diet, over the last 35 years eggs have become the visual icon of high cholesterol, both dietary and blood cholesterol, and many consumers have responded by limiting, or eliminating eggs from their diets. U.S. Department of Agriculture data show that meat, poultry and fi sh together account for nearly 45% of cholesterol intake, compared to under 36% for eggs. (1) Between 1970, when the public fi rst started hearing the diet-cholesterol message, to 1995, egg consumption decreased 24%, from 311 to 238 eggs per person per year. The message to limit dietary cholesterol had been so effective that recent surveys show that 45 to 50% of consumers considered dietary cholesterol “a serious health risk.” And since everyone seemed to replay the same nutritional messages, “less than 300 mg per day of dietary cholesterol and no more than 3 to 4 whole eggs a week,” consumers assumed that the recommendations must be not only science based but also proven safe and effective. Today as we are learning about many aspects of the more traditional conventional wisdom in nutrition, the proscriptions against eggs and dietary cholesterol are coming under increased scrutiny as new research not only questions the validity of old concepts but presents documented evidence that the old theories don’t hold up well to rigorous scrutiny. Today, as scientific investigation and statistical analytical methodologies have improved, research studies provide a more accurate perspective of the biological processes involved in diet-disease relationships. In fact, a 2007 observational study of 9,734 people conducted by researchers at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, found no increased risk for stroke, ischemic stroke or coronary heart disease when subjects ate 6 or more eggs per week. The researchers concluded that “the lack of relationship between egg consumption and cardiovascular diseases may be attributable to lack of association between serum cholesterol and egg consumption”. (2) Over the years there have been numerous reports that egg consumption is not related to either plasma cholesterol levels or coronary heart disease (CHD) incidence. Epidemiological surveys across cultures, such as the Twenty Countries Study, (3) reported that dietary cholesterol and egg consumption were related to cardiovascular disease mortality using simple correlation analyses but, when multivariate analyses were included correcting for saturated fat calories, there were no relationships between CHD and either dietary cholesterol or egg intakes. Data from the Framingham Heart Study, (4), (5) the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT) (6), the Lipid Research Clinics Prevalence Trial (7), the Alpha-Tocopheral, Beta- Carotene Cancer Prevention Study,8 the Nurses’ Health Study,8 and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (8) all reported that dietary cholesterol intake was not related to either plasma cholesterol levels or CHD incidence. In 1999 Hu and colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) an analysis of data from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study on the relationships between weekly egg consumption and CHD and stroke incidences. (9) The Nurses’ Health Study included 80,082 nurses aged 34 to 59 years at study onset followed for 14 years (1980-1994) and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study involved 37,851 males aged 40 to 75 years in 1986 and followed for 8 years (1986-1994). The investigators determined daily egg consumption from multiple food-frequency questionnaires and measured incidences of nonfatal myocardial infarction, fatal CHD, and stroke in the two study populations. The investigators reported that after adjustments for age, smoking, and other potential CHD risk factors, there was no evidence for a significant relationship between egg consumption and risk of CHD or stroke in either men or women. The researchers concluded “that consumption of up to one egg per day is unlikely to have substantial overall impact on the risk of CHD or stroke among healthy men and women.” Using data from subgroup analyses, the authors noted an increased risk of CHD associated with higher egg consumption among study participants with diabetes (following an ad libitum diet) but not in those with hypercholesterolemia or excess body weight. The findings by Hu et al.9 add to an ever increasing body of evidence indicating a null relationship between egg consumption and CHD risk. The fact is that most industrialized countries have reviewed the experimental and epidemiological evidence and their nutrition experts determined that dietary cholesterol restrictions are unnecessary for a heart healthy diet. (10) In addition, studies are now showing that restricting eggs from the diet can have negative nutritional effects. The protein quality of eggs is the highest value in the supermarket, and it’s available at the lowest price. Eggs have high nutrient density providing 13 different vitamins and minerals in excess of the caloric contribution. Eggs are a source of biologically available lutein and zeaxanthin which help protect eyes against age related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in the elderly. In addition, eggs are an excellent source of choline, an essential nutrient needed for fetal brain and memory development and prevention of neural tube defects. And what else is there in an egg which nature has included to optimize embryonic development?: cholesterol (Should eggs be considered nature’s original “functional food”?) And surely, if eggs increased the risk of CHD then countries with higher per capita egg consumption should have high rates of CHD. In fact, it turns out to be just the opposite. The countries with the highest per capita egg intakes are Japan #1, then Spain and France, countries with very low rates of CHD mortality compared to the USA. As the articles in this issue of Nutrition Realities show, there are many reasons to include eggs in a healthy diet. And for segments of the population who are at nutritional risk, the elderly, growing children, low income families, and those with serious illnesses, excluding an affordable, nutrient dense source of high quality protein and a variety of essential nutrients makes very little sense and is unjust. Our current understanding of the relationships between diet and CHD has moved beyond the simplistic view that dietary cholesterol equals blood cholesterol, and shifted towards an emphasis on saturated fats, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle in CHD risk. Consider, that by giving the public one less ineffective dietary issue to concentrate on it may actually increase their awareness of some of their more risky behaviors. Slowly but surely, and with an ever expanding body of scientifi c evidence, eggs are coming back to their rightful place in the American diet. And for all those people who have been avoiding a food they enjoy, this will be a valuable shift in the conventional wisdom which will allow them to again welcome eggs back into their heart healthy diet. REFERENCES: U.S. Department of Agriculture/Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Nutrient Content of the U.S. Food Supply, 190902004. Home Economics Research Report No. 57, February 2007. 1. Qureshi AI. Regular egg consumption does not increase the risk of stroke and cardiovascular diseases. Sci Monit, 2007, 13(1):CR1-8 Hegsted DM, Ausman LM. Diet, alcohol and coronary heart disease in men. J Nutr 1988;118:1184-1189. Millen BE, Franz MM, Quatromoni PA, et al. Diet and plasma lipids in women. Macronutrients and plasma total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol in women: The Framingham nutrition studies. J Clin Epidemiol 1996;49:657-663. Dawber TR, Nickerson RJ, Brand FN, Pool J. Eggs, serum cholesterol, and coronary heart disease. Am J Clin Nutr 1982;36:617-625. Tillotson JL, Bartsch GE, Gorder D, Grandits GA, Stamler J. Food group and nutrient intakes at baseline in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial. Am J Clin Nutr 1997;65(1) Suppl:228S-257S. Esrey KL, Joseph L, Grover SA. Relationship between dietary intake and coronary heart disease mortality: Lipid research clinics prevalence follow-up study. J Clin Epidemiol 1996;49:211-216. Pietinen P, Ascherio A, Korhonen P, et al. Intake of fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease in a cohort of Finnish men — The alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene cancer preventionstudy. Am J Epidemiol 1997;145:876-887. Hu FB, Stampfer MJ, Manson JE, et al. Dietary fat intake and the risk of coronary heart disease in women. N Engl J Med 1997;337:1491-1499. Ascherio A, Rimm EB, Giovannucci EL, Spiegelman D, Stampfer M, Willett WC. Dietary fat and risk of coronary heart disease in men: Cohort follow up study in the United States. BMJ 1996;313:84-90. Hu FB, Stampfer MJ, Rimm EB, et al. A prospective study of egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease in men and women. JAMA 1999;281:1387-1394. Klein C, The Scientifi c Evidence and Approach Taken to Establish Guidelines for Cholesterol Intake In Australia, Canada, The United Kingdom and the United States, Life Science Research Offi ce, November 2006.

Egg Nutrient Chart Nutrient Content of a Large Egg Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 2010. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 23. Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page: http://www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata Discrepencies between nutrient levels in the white+yolk vs. the whole egg are due to sampling error.

Processing, Handling & Storage Due to developments in processing technology, today's egg products are highly superior to those of 35 to 40 years ago. Processing and Handling *The design and construction of EGG PROCESSING EQUIPMENT meets E-3-A and 3-A Sanitary Standards Holding Eggs for processing must be of high quality to avoid excessive yolk breakage in egg-breaking machines. A fresh egg will have a thick white and an upstanding yolk. Over time, the egg white thins, and the yolk spreads and enlarges due to passage of water from the white through the yolk membrane into the yolk. This weakens the yolk. Eggs to be processed are usually held in refrigerated storage no longer than seven to ten days. Equipment Standards Egg products are processed in sanitary facilities under a strict system of inspection supervised by the USDA. Regulations require the use of E-3-A and 3-A Sanitary Standards and Accepted Practices for processing equipment. They are also applied to determine acceptance of the design of equipment commonly used in both the dairy and egg products industries. These standards were established by USDA and International Association of Milk, Food and Environmental Sanitarians. Some standards are adaptations of those of the Dairy and Food Industries Supply Association, Inc., and others are unique to the egg industry, such as those for egg-breaking equipment. Breaking Some shell egg processing facilities often have their own breaking facilities. Eggs are received, washed, rinsed, sanitized, and then candled (the process of using quartz halogen light to identify and remove eggs with imperfections). USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)-approved automated equipment enables operators to break, separate, and monitor for quality and imperfections 13,500 dozen (162,000) eggs per hour. Whole or separated eggs are mixed for uniformity and filtered to remove shell fragments, membranes, and chalazae. For quality assurance purposes, sample eggs may be hand-candled during each session to validate the mechanical candling results, and a sample amount of eggs are broken out and compared. The liquid egg product is filtered, mixed, and chilled before entering further processing stages . Pasteurization Various times and temperatures are used for effective pasteurization, depending on the product. All egg products are continuously monitored for pathogenic organisms. Pasteurized liquid egg products routinely contain less than 1,000 microorganisms per gram. Salmonella tests are run regularly by the egg products industry and FSIS. Only Salmonella-negative products can be sold. Yolk and whole egg products are pasteurized in their liquid form. Liquid egg white is pasteurized when sold as a liquid or frozen product. Dehydrated egg white with glucose removed is normally pasteurized by heat treatment in a hot room at 130°F (54.4°C) for seven days. Refrigerated Liquid Egg Products Refrigerated liquid egg products may be transported directly from the breaking plant to the user in insulated thermal tank trucks or in portable refrigerated vats. For long hauls, mechanical refrigeration, liquid-carbon-dioxide, or liquid-nitrogen cooling systems may be used. Liquid whole egg and yolk must be maintained below 40°F (4.4°C) and egg white below 45°F (7.2°C). They should be used on a first in, first out, basis. Frozen Egg Products Frozen egg products are produced by filling a container with pasteurized chilled liquid egg and freezing in a blast freezer at a temperature of –10° to –40°F (–23.3° to –40°C). When thawed, frozen whole egg becomes quite fluid and easy to handle, but frozen raw yolk has a gelatinized consistency. However, when yolk is blended with sugar, corn syrup, or salt (usually at levels of 2% to 10%) before freezing, the product will become fluid when thawed. Dried Egg Products Dried egg products are usually produced by spray drying although some egg white is dried on trays to produce a flake or granular form. Before the egg white is dried, glucose is removed. This produces dried egg white products with excellent storage stability. Whipping aids may be added to produce dried egg white products for good whipping properties. Sodium lauryl sulfate, an angel food cake volume enhancer, is added at a level of less than 0.1% by weight of the liquid prior to drying. Whenever long storage stability is required, glucose is removed from whole egg and yolk products before drying. Non-reducing carbohydrates such as glucose-free corn syrup and sucrose are added to some products to preserve their whipping properties and to improve their storage stability. ⚠️ Proper storage and handling is critical for all eggs products to prevent bacterial contamination! ⚠️ Storage Frozen Egg Products Have a long shelf life when kept at less than 10°F (–12.2°C). Only as much as needed should be thawed in unopened containers under refrigeration or under cold running water and should be used as soon as possible after thawing. Refrigerated Liquid Egg Products Can be kept at 40°F (4.4°C) for whole eggs and yolks or 45°F (7.2°C) for whites, unopened, for two to six days, depending on the microbial quality of the product. Refrigerated liquid egg products with extended shelf life should be stored according to the processor's recommendations. Egg White Solids As long as they are kept dry, egg white solids are stable during storage even at room temperature. Spray-dried egg white with glucose removed has an almost infinite shelf life. Dried Whole Egg and Yolk Solids Should be kept cool, less than 50°F (10°C), to maintain quality. Once containers of egg solids have been opened, they should be resealed tightly to prevent contamination and absorption of moisture. If dried eggs are combined with dry ingredients and held for storage, they should be sealed tightly in a closed container and stored in the refrigerator at 32° to 50°F (0° to 10°C). Reconstituted eggs should be used immediately. Plain Unstabilized Whole Egg Solids Have a shelf life of about one month at room temperature and about a year at refrigerated temperatures. If stabilized, the shelf life increases to one year at room temperature. Unstabilized egg yolk solids have a shelf life of about three months at room temperature and more than a year at refrigerated temperatures. Stabilized egg yolk solids have a shelf life of about eight months at room temperature and over a year at refrigerated temperatures. Specialty Egg Products Should be kept refrigerated or frozen as recommended by the processor.