Malnutrition is a key problem not solely in African nations. As a global research revealed in Frontiers in Vitamin led by Veronika Somoza now reveals, egg powder is a meals with nice potential to enhance the dietary scenario of youngsters in disadvantaged areas. In comparison with pasteurized entire eggs, the powder comprises decrease quantities of important fatty acids, however nonetheless offers many nutritional vitamins, indispensable amino acids and essential hint components. As well as, it has a protracted shelf life with out extra preservatives, is straightforward to move over lengthy distances and is straightforward to organize.

Based on the German Federal Ministry of Meals and Agriculture, greater than 250 million individuals in Africa alone are undernourished. Infants and kids are notably arduous hit. “Research present that including one egg a day to complementary meals will help cut back the incidence of underweight in older infants by 74%, in addition to counteract the so-called ‘stunting’ impact’,” says Veronika Somoza, director of the Leibniz Institute for Meals Techniques Biology on the Technical College of Munich (LSB).

Egg powder as a low-cost different

In areas the place malnutrition is a part of on a regular basis life, nonetheless, eggs are hardly out there. Cheap egg powder might subsequently be an alternate. As a result of its minimal water content material, it has a considerably longer shelf life in addition to a comparatively excessive nutrient density. As well as, it’s simpler to retailer and transport than eggs, and it may be simply added to meals. This makes it fascinating as a possible dietary complement.

Regardless of its widespread industrial use, little has been recognized about its dietary high quality. To fill this information hole, the staff led by Veronika Somoza performed an intensive comparative research. Utilizing state-of-the-art meals chemistry evaluation strategies, the scientists decided the nutrient profiles of three batches every of industrially produced, pasteurized entire egg and egg powder processed from it and in contrast them on a dry matter foundation.

Egg powder not contaminated by heavy metals

“As our analyses confirmed, the drying course of didn’t result in an accumulation of the heavy metals cadmium, lead, arsenic and mercury,” experiences Philip Pirkwieser, Ph.D. chemist at LSB and lead writer of the research. As well as, the analysis staff noticed little or no loss in whole fats content material, important amino acid content material, essential hint components or carotenoids. Likewise, vitamin E (alpha- and gamma-tocopherol) and vitamin B12 concentrations remained practically fixed. Nevertheless, vitamin A (retinol) ranges decreased by 14%. The quantity of significant omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids even decreased considerably by a mean of 39% and 61%, respectively.

“Regardless of the small lack of retinol, egg powder is a helpful supply of vitamin A. Sub-Saharan African areas particularly may gain advantage from this. It’s because vitamin A deficiency is widespread there and results in a excessive prevalence of imaginative and prescient issues,” explains Veronika Somoza.

A every day consumption of egg powder equal to at least one medium-sized egg is enough to cowl 24% of a kid’s every day requirement for vitamin A, 100% for vitamin E, 61 % for selenium and 22% for zinc, relying on age. That is very constructive. If it have been potential to extend the content material of important fatty acids and vitamin A, the good potential of egg powder as a meals complement might be totally exploited, the LSB director continues. One strategy to obtain this might be by means of rooster feed enriched with these fatty acids and nutritional vitamins.

Supplied by
Leibniz-Institut für Lebensmittel-Systembiologie