MINI EGG SOUFFLÉS ADD VITAL PROTEIN TO THE MORNING RUSH AT FAST-CASUAL RESTAURANTS, SERVED ALONGSIDE FRUIT OR FRESHLY BAKED BREAD.

THE EGG IS FAMILIAR TO EVERY SHOPPER IN AMERICA. YET WITHIN THAT MILD-LOOKING SHELLED EXTERIOR LIES A POWERHOUSE OF NUTRITION AND FUNCTIONALITY THAT TRANS-FERS THESE SUPER ATTRIBUTES INTO FORMULATIONS ACROSS THE DIETARY SPECTRUM.

THE SUPERHEROES of comic books and movies, such as Ironman, Captain America, and Spiderman, have pow-

ers that elevate them beyond the ordinary. Yet in public, they often masked these talents to appear ordinary. Superman was the original mild-mannered reporter. Sometimes too in the food world, the greatest collection of attributes is found in the most ordinary item. The egg is familiar to every shopper in America. Yet within that mild-looking shelled exterior lies a powerhouse of nutrition and functionality that transfers these super attributes into formula-tions across the dietary spectrum.

PROTEIN POWERHOUSEEggs set the standard for protein levels among ingredients with the highest PDCAA (protein digestibility corrected amino acid) score – a perfect 1.0. Egg ingredients contain a high level of essential amino acids in a readily bioavailable form. This availability and digestibility is an important factor especially when formulating for seniors or active adults, teens and athletes, who rely on a protein boost to maintain muscle function.

THE

SUPER POWERSSIMPLE INGREDIENTS

AMERICAN EGG BOARD 1

In addition to the protein content, eggs are con-sidered a naturally nutrient-dense food, containing varying amounts of 13 essential nutrients in a pack-age with a relatively low number of calories, just 70 for a large 50 gram egg. Eggs are one of the few

natural sources of vitamin D and provide

an excellent source of choline and selenium and a good source of vi-

tamin B12, phosphorus and ribofla-vin. One large egg or its equivalent in

the further processed category provides 6 grams of highly digestible protein, constitut-

ing eggs as a ‘good’ source of high-quality protein.Nutritionally, the high-quality protein from

egg ingredients helps children grow and maintain their energy. In active adults egg protein builds muscle, supplies energy and satisfies hunger lon-ger. In older adults, protein help this population optimize muscle function and maintain a healthy nutritional profile with proteins that are easy for the body to digest and utilize.

These proteins play another role in addition to nutrition as a powerful functional aid when for-mulating. Egg white proteins provide the foam-ing properties that make them such a popular

addition within formulations for breads, cakes, cookies, meringues and other baked goods. These products depend on air incorporation to main-tain structure during and after processing. And the air micelle formation depends on the proteins to encapsulate and retain the air. Egg white pro-teins possess both hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acids that unfold when air is beaten into or incorporated into an egg white solution. The pro-teins form new bonds that hold their structure as heat causes the gas inside the captured air bubbles to expand. The air bubbles solidify in the heat to form a stable foam structure.

NEWS ABOUT ALLERGENSEvery hero has his weakness, and egg allergy affects an estimated 0.5% to 9% of young children. Chil-dren with an egg allergy are likely to grow out of it by adulthood. One study found the following rates of outgrowing an egg allergy are 4% by age four; 12% by age six; 37% by age 10 and 68% by age 16.

The good news is that the prognosis for over-coming this allergy is generally favorable, with the majority of mild cases resolving spontaneously

by school age. A recent study has discovered that high temperatures can decrease the allergenicity of some proteins in egg white.

This study tested children who showed egg al-lergy reactions and gave them small amounts of eggs cooked at high temperatures, to reveal that the majority of egg-allergic children can toler-ate baked egg, and regular ingestion of baked egg products is well tolerated and safe. It also appears to accelerate development of tolerance to unheated egg. Avoidance and management remains the cor-nerstone for those who do retain an egg allergy.

The good news for food processors is that fur-ther processed egg products used in formulation heated at high temperatures can be tolerated and enjoyed by more than 90% of the population.

SPECIAL DIET SUPERHEROOn the flip side, egg ingredients actually assist in multiple ways functionally for foods designed as gluten-free products, for consumers diagnosed

HIGH-QUALITY PROTEIN FROM EGG INGREDIENTS HELPS CHILDREN GROW AND MAINTAIN THEIR ENERGY.

CONSUMING HIGH-QUALITY PROTEIN FOUND IN EGGS HELPS TO CURB HUNGER PANGS.

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EGG PROTEINS HELP FORM STRUCTURE IN TRICKY GLUTEN-FREE FORMULATIONS WHEN OTHER SOURCES OF TRADITIONAL PROTEIN ARE LACKING.

with celiac disease. Celiac is not a dietary choice for many, but an autoimmune re-sponse to gluten, particularly wheat, within foods. Gluten-free food development and sales continue to rise as a growth segment in the baking category. Mintel reports that gluten-free is the fastest grow-ing claim paired with desserts on menus, up 96.9% from the fourth quarter number in 2011 compared to the fourth quarter of 2010.

In gluten-free bread or bakery items, wheat flour is replaced by a combination of other, non-gluten containing flours such as white rice or tapioca, in a blend of flours that still do not reach the protein level in combination, provided by wheat flour. Wheat flour ranges from 9%-15% protein, and egg ingredients, particularly the whites, help supply some of that missing protein. In addition, the criti-cal functional properties such as binding, moisture and air-micelle formation helps the bread attain proper volume and shape, a tricky procedure when gluten is absent. Gluten forms a film that in turn creates a bubble as it expands, keeping its shape as heat (through baking) is applied, but that expan-sion and air micelle formation is lost in a gluten-free formulation. For gluten-free bread, formula-tors are advised to whip the egg whites first, as they would for a cake formula, to trap the air and help the loaf expand.

There are varying levels of egg white recom-mended in gluten-free baking formulations de-pending on the amount and type of functionality required. Brian Strouts, head of research and tech-nical services at AIB International, Manhattan, KS, says a formulator would use between 10%-30% egg white in formulation; with cookies and cakes on the high end and pizza crust on the lower end, on a percentage basis in formulation. Pizza crust relies on the binding capabilities egg white sup-plies but not the aeration.

TO THE RESCUEDiet fads come and go but what the public needs is a consistent way to lose and maintain a healthy body weight. While there is no singular answer, re-searchers have discovered that the common habit of skipping breakfast is strongly associated with over-eating and snacking later in the day, leading to weight gain and obesity. And the growing ten-dency to choose easy breakfast options, such as a bowl of cereal, depending upon the cereal chosen can increase sugar intake and fuel America’s grow-ing habit of ingesting carbohydrate-laden meals. A

study published last year re-veals that more than 40 break-fast cereals contain as much or more sugar than three cookies.

Dietary strategies for combating this include re-versing that habit, or eating breakfast and ensuring that breakfast includes a high-quality protein, such as eggs. An increase in protein consumption from 15% of daily intake to 25%-30% of intake leads to improvements in appetite control and satiety.

Diets in recent years introduced the concept that dieting doesn’t have to equate with hungry. When consumers lower carbohydrate consump-tion and increase the level of high-quality protein intake, they’ll experience weight loss without hun-ger pangs because protein metabolizes at a much slower rate than carbohydrates, helping maintain consistent blood sugar levels. This practice, of de-

creasing carbs and increasing high-quality protein intake of the type provided by eggs is an effective way to preserve lean muscle and increase fat loss during weight loss.

LIGHT, AIRY MERINGUE KISSES FULFILL A ‘SWEET TOOTH’ CRAVING WITHOUT FUSS OR GUILT, USING EGG WHITES AS INGREDIENTS.

AMERICAN EGG BOARD 3

HAND-HELD BREAK-FAST SANDWICHES WITH EGGS HEAT IN A FLASH FOR A WARM, HEARTY CONVENIENCE MEAL THAT SATISFIES UNTIL LUNCH.

Formulators targeting an audience who skip breakfast or look for convenient nutritional alter-natives can easily incorporate extra protein in mi-crowaveable, portable breakfast bowls or hand-held meal solutions. Eggs as an ingredient contain the proteins that helps satisfy hunger and as a for-mulary bonus, adapt to almost any type of quick-heating situation, including the freeze/thaw cycle common to refrigerated or frozen meal solutions.

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIESEgg yolks contain a different balance of fat and protein, comprising the entire fat content of the egg along with a little less than half the protein and a great proportion of the vitamins and miner-als. Although egg yolk contains about 5 grams of fat, approximately two-thirds of it is unsaturated. Recommendations about egg consumption have changed over the years with various health orga-

nizations posting more favorable reviews on eggs as scientific studies revealed their benefits and that saturated fat, not dietary cholesterol, plays a great-er role in heart disease risk.

Other health benefits link to compounds found in the yolk’s contents, lutein and zeaxanthin, beta-carotenes that may help keep eyes healthy and re-duce the risk of age-related macular degeneration. While eggs contain small amounts of these nutri-

ents, studies show that the body may absorb and utilize these nutrients from egg yolks than from richer sources.

Egg yolk ingredients are available in liquid, frozen and dried forms and pasteurized for safety and improved shelf life. The lecithin egg yolks contain gives them their emulsifi-cation properties. The lecithin also helps re-duce the rate of moisture loss in baked items while at the same time exerting a tendering effect on the crumb.

LABELING LUMINARYThe latest news about the fat content in eggs, particularly the yolk, is that the USDA re-cently reviewed the nutrient composition of standard large eggs and results show the av-erage amount of cholesterol in one large egg is 185 mg—14 percent lower than previously recorded at 212 mg. One large egg (approxi-mately 50 grams) as a single unit contains ap-proximately 5g of fat, of which 1.5g is saturat-ed, with most of it concentrated in the yolk. When using egg white alone in formulation,

the fat contribution is negligible. This same analysis revealed large eggs contain

41 IU of vitamin D, an increase of 64 percent over the level previously measured. This translates into a friendlier ingredient for its impact on the nutri-tion label. In addition to government-sanctioned labels, many private companies are instituting their own policies concerning in-store labels to better serve their customers.

Wal-Mart, the country’s largest grocery chain, instituted a new labeling policy in February, with foods appearing on store shelves in March. The new label, bright green with the words “Great for You,” appeared on the retailer’s own Great Value and Marketside food items this spring, as well as on signs around fresh fruits and vegetable dis-plays. In this highly selective process, Wal-Mart included eggs since they are an inexpensive source of quality protein for low-income families.

It’s no secret most women relate chocolate to happiness; how-ever, research from Mintel shows “There is a scientific argument that genuine ‘mood foods’—namely those sources of omega-3 oils, like salmon or omega-3-enriched eggs—can provide a chem-ical level of emotional enhancement.” The concept of functional foods has expanded to include emotion, in addition to nutrition.

Product developers already are responding to this trend using the word mood in claims or packaging on 1,855 new product launches across categories in 2010 compared to 335 in 2005.

Whether linked to emotional mood or not, it is a fact that in the depths of the recession, consumer purchases of comfort foods such as cakes and pies, rose. The good news for bakeries is that apparently when they are happy, consumers still buy pre-pared cakes and pies. Mintel forecasts sales will grow more than 5% per annum from 2011 to 2015 as the economy recovers and consumers become less concerned with saving money.

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THE MOOD FROM YOUR FOOD