PROPERTIES OF EGGS
The multifunctionality of eggs
At Källbergs, we further develop and optimize the egg's properties in our manufacturing process. Källbergs offers unique solutions for customers with special requirements for the egg products' properties, nutritional content and appearance.
Eggs in any meal
Egg yolks make it possible to disperse drops of oil when producing a mayonnaise or sauce. Egg whites and whole eggs can be whisked into a foam – when making meringues, for example, or cake bases. Eggs form gels and bind omelettes and quiches, among other things.
In addition to this, eggs bring colour and flavour to a whole host of dishes.
The feed composition optimises nutritional values
Egg yolks get their colour from their carotenoid content. Carotenoids also have antioxidant properties. Hens cannot produce carotenoids themselves; they obtain these from their feed. Egg yolks can be anything from pale yellow to orange-coloured, based on the composition of the hens’ feed.
Depending on feed components, it is even possible to create egg products that have optimised nutritional properties. We focus on the nutrients that many are deficient in as a result of modern diets, such as omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamin D, folate, selenium and more.
We optimise the eggs' functional proporties
At Källbergs, we can influence the functional properties of egg products based on how the process is conducted, for example through heat treatment. It is also possible to create products that have different ratios of yolk to egg white, or that have been processed with other ingredients.
In such a way, we can alter or enhance the eggs’ emulsifying properties: dispersion of oil in water, foaming properties, creation and stabilisation of air bubbles in liquids, gelling ability, creation of a cohesive structure in a food and colour and taste.
Children and egg allergies
The recommendations for when one can start giving children eggs have changed throughout the western world; this is the case in the USA and Sweden, for example. The recommendation is now that children should become accustomed to eating eggs from a young age. Previously, it was believed that one could prevent the development of allergies by holding off introducing potential allergenic foods into a child’s diet until they were over one year old. More recent research has shown that this is not the case. In the advice given in Sweden, eggs are now highlighted as important foods – even for young children over six months old.
In the USA, the recommendation is that eggs may be given to children from as early as four months old. A number of other countries and expert organisations have also changed their directions in a similar manner.