Tips on the structure, composition and properties of the egg
With this article, Zucami’s technical team intends to present TIPS that help our customers to know the structure, composition and properties of eggs.
Eggs are a high nutritional and culinary food. In addition, it comes in the best possible packaging, resistant, natural and optimal for storage.
The success of this egg formation process is based on the hens being fed with high quality nutrients and kept in a situation of environmental comfort and optimal health.
🥚The egg. A great design of nature
The structure of the egg is designed by nature to protect and maintain the embryo from which the chick would emerge after hatching and therefore its contents have an enormous nutritional value.
Egg structure
🥚EGG SHELL
It represents 9% of the egg weight and is composed of calcium carbonate (94%), magnesium carbonate (1%), calcium phosphate (1%) and organic matter (4% protein).
Its color depends of the presence of a pigment composed of ovoporphyrins, linked to the breed of the hen.
On its surface there are numerous pores (between 7,000 and 15,000) that facilitate gas exchange between the inside and outside of the egg.
🥚AIR CELL
This space is formed by the albumen contraction after laying and forces the separation of the membranes.
🥚YOLK
It represents 30 to 33% of the egg weight and is made up of multiple layers of white and yellow yolk, a germinal disc, a vitelline membrane and latebra.
Contains the germ cells, where fertilization and later embryonic development takes place.
🥚EGG WHITE OR ALBUMEN
It represents approximately 60% of the total weight of the egg. It is composed of 4 layers that form the so-called “albuminoid sac”, whose function is to protect the yolk.
🥚TESTACEOUS MEMBRANES
They are on the inner side of the shell, and represent approximately 3% of the egg’s weight.
In terms of nutritional value, eggs are one of nature’s most nutritious and economical foods. It is considered one of the most complete foods because of the balanced proportion of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins it contains.
Eggs, a recommended food in the diet.
Eggs are one of the most complete foods and a basic ingredient in food and cooking.
It has the best quality proteins, which means, the ones that most closely resemble the ones our body needs.
It has the best quality proteins, which means, the ones that most closely resemble the ones our body needs.
Two medium eggs (about 100 grams of edible part) are considered a ration for an adult, and one egg for a child up to 9 years of age.
One portion (two eggs) provides 7% of the necessary daily calories and proteins of high biological value, which are necessary and easily assimilated by the body.
White and brown eggs, just as nutritious
There is no nutritional difference between white and brown eggs.
The color of the shell depends on the breed of the hen laying the eggs.
Hens of brown commercial breeds lay colored eggs, and white hens lay white eggs.
Egg freshness
One way to evaluate the freshness is checking the consistency of the egg white
A fresh egg has two zones in the white; a more consistent one and a liquid one, which are well distinguishable.
When the egg is fresher, the dense white is tighter and more jelly-like and loses that firmness as it loses freshness.
The height of the yolk is another indicator of freshness.
A fresh egg has a hemispherical yolk above the dense white, and both have a height that stands out above the liquid white.
When the egg loses freshness, the yolk membrane also becomes less firm and the yolk flattens, until it is completely flattened, with its profile barely standing out from the white.
Another way to evaluate freshness is the height of the air space. Between the membrane and the shell). The smaller the air space, the fresher the egg.
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