AECL Managing Director, James Kellaway, said the research was another good reason for consumers to include eggs as part of their daily diet.

“This study has highlighted some surprising results, including suggesting that the humble egg is now the highest quality protein food with the lowest emissions. But the research also highlighted that there is still scope for refinements to current practices in egg production to allow further reductions in emissions. AECL wishes to conduct further studies on this important topic,” Mr Kellaway said.

“With greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions front of mind for many, this research provides consumers with the information they need to help reduce their carbon footprints when buying foods,” he said.

The research project, conducted by Steve Wiedemann and Eugene McGahan (and commissioned by AECL), used Life Cycle Assessment to study the GHG emissions from three egg farms over one year.

The researchers also found that:
• Cage production delivered a lower carbon footprint than free range egg production
• Greenhouse gas emissions from cage egg production was 1.3kg of CO2-e per kg of eggs (carbon dioxide equivalence, including methane and nitrous oxide)
• Emissions from free range egg production was found to be 1.6kg of CO2-e per kg of eggs
• Australian egg production had a lower carbon footprint than several European egg studies (mainly due to the more efficient grain production in Australia)
• The largest carbon impacts in the supply chain were: feed grain production, then manure management and energy use at the layer farm
• Free range egg production’s carbon footprint was found to be about 20% higher than caged production due to the fact that it uses more feed per kilogram of eggs produced compared to the feed efficiencies of cage egg production.

Research shows that tucking into eggs the morning after a big night out can do more than simply satisfy your tastebuds – they can also help fight your hangover and improve alertness. Research has found that cysteine, the amino acid found in eggs, counteracts the poisonous effects of acetaldehyde, the chemical produced by the body as it metabolises alcohol. Acetaldehyde is responsible for the headaches, nausea and other unpleasant consequences of drinking one too many glasses of wine. And there is more good news for partygoers, as new research* from Cambridge University has found that egg proteins can help us stay awake and alert during the working day. The study, published in the journal Neuron, focused on specialised brain cells called orexin-hypocretin neurons. Wakefulness and energy rely on signals transmitted by the cells. The Cambridge team found that protein components of the type found in egg whites stimulated the neurons much more than other nutrients. So perhaps it’s no surprise that eggs feature in five of the UK’s ten favourite hangover cures. In a poll of 3,000 Brits last year, the good old English fry up (eggs, bacon, beans, hash browns and toast) was voted the nation’s favourite meal when suffering from a hangover, ahead of the bacon sandwich. Third in the list of ultimate comfort food the morning after a big night out was a plate of eggs and bacon, followed by the McDonald’s breakfast in fourth place. Two healthy egg recipes – poached eggs on toast and boiled eggs and soldiers – were in sixth and ninth places respectively.

British Egg industry Council *Mahesh M. Kharnani et al., Activation of Central Orexin/Hypocretin Neurons by Dietary Amino Acids, Neuron, Volume 72, Issue 4, 616-629, 17 November 2011

Protein is an important part of every cell in your body. Protein provides building blocks for tissue growth and repair, serves as enzymes and hormones, helps your body maintain a healthy metabolism and supplies energy (calories) for your body to work. It also, helps your body fight infections and keeps body fluids in balance. Eating protein-rich foods helps keep you feeling full longer. This is because protein helps your body control the rate at which calories are absorbed. An egg in the morning can help curb afternoon cravings and unhealthy snacking.

Protein is found in both the egg yolk and white. Eat the whole egg to benefit from its full energy potential.

Chop or slice hard-cooked eggs and add them to a sandwich, salad, casserole, pasta sauce or pizza.
For Egg Drop Soup, stir a beaten egg into simmering chicken broth and garnish with chopped green onions.
For easy fried rice, add a beaten egg to a skillet containing hot, cooked rice and chopped vegetables; cook until egg is set and vegetables are tender.
Dip a grilled cheese sandwich in an egg and milk mixture (as for French Toast) before cooking.
Add 1 or 2 eggs to ground meat or poultry when preparing hamburger patties and meatloaf.
Slice an omelette into strips and toss with your favourite pasta sauce.
Top crackers or baguette with sliced hard-cooked eggs and toppings such as cheese, salsa, cucumber, cream cheese, etc.
Top a salad with a poached egg.
Serve scrambled eggs in tiny baked tartlet shells, in phyllo pastry or on tortilla chips.
Crumble hard meringues on ice cream or fruit.
Use crêpes or omelettes as pizza crust.
Place peeled, whole hard-cooked eggs end-to-end in the middle of a meatloaf before cooking

Check out our recipe section for other great ideas.

To freeze whole eggs: Beat eggs until blended, then pour them into a freezer container with a tight-fitting lid. Label the container with the number of eggs and the date.
To use: 3 tbsp (45 mL) thawed whole egg = 1 large fresh egg.

To freeze egg whites: Pour white into a freezer container with a tight-fitting lid. Label the container with the number of whites and the date.
To use: 2 tbsp (30 mL) thawed egg white = 1 large fresh egg white.

To freeze egg yolks: Yolks will thicken or gel when frozen unless specially treated. Beat in either 1/8 tsp (.5 mL) salt or 1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) sugar or corn syrup per 1/4 cup (60 mL) egg yolks (about 4 yolks). Label the container with the number of yolks, the date and what was added (salt for main dishes and sugar for baking).
To use: 1 tbsp (15 mL) thawed egg yolk = 1 large fresh egg yolk.

Thaw frozen eggs in the refrigerator and use them as soon as they are thawed in dishes that will be thoroughly cooked.

The study reveal that profits from egg businesses are being used to fund community and environmental projects around the globe. These include setting up schools in Mozambique and Zimbabwe; a remarkable environmental building in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, which is working to neutralise the CO2 emissions of employees’ cars; a forest improvement project in Japan; and the Hawke’s Bay Community Trust in New Zealand, which promotes biodynamic and organic production. In addition to this, during the past 12 months, over 22 million eggs have been donated to food banks, charities and schools around the world, helping to feed the hungry and underprivileged.

Darling Downs Fresh Eggs supports this global initiative by donating eggs to many local community and charities.

We would love for the consumers of our products to tell us what they do when they buy eggs. Do you always open the pack and check the quality?

Egg farmers are leading the way on sustainability with one of the smallest carbon footprints in agricultural. Please view the video below and share your feedback. If you like it please subscribe to our website or click on our like button for our Facebook page

When it comes to food safety and truth-in-labelling the Australian Egg Industry cannot stress enough the need to have clear identification and trace back to the origin of the contents of any egg carton. So please ensure when you buy eggs from a farmers market that each egg has a producers mark on it, this will ensure the product is safe for consumers.

All Queensland egg producers are required by Foodsafe Queensland to comply with the labelling standards. This standard involves all registered producers having their own registered identification marks. These identification marks must be printed on each and every individual egg produced. The reason for this is to provide consumers with a safe product for consumption.

Darling Downs Fresh Eggs are identified by the mark of ‘AE’, so please look for our mark to ensure you are eating our fresh quality eggs.

Australian researchers say their findings on egg allergies call into question the guidelines on what parents should feed their babies. A study involving thousands of infants has found that the later egg is introduced into a child’s diet the more likely the child is to develop an allergy.

This adds to a growing body of evidence that early exposure rather than avoidance, could be the best way to protect children from allergies and the scientists say that the guidelines may have contributed to what they say is a food allergy epidemic in Australia.

To view the complete article please go to http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2010/s3028713.htm

How many to eat?

The Heart Foundation recommends that up to six eggs a week can be included as part of a healthy balanced diet, which is low in saturated fat, without increasing the risk of heart disease.

How eggs help?

Eggs are one of the few naturally nutrient-dense foods. In fact, just one serve of eggs (2 × 60g eggs) contains more than 10% of the recommended dietary intake (RDI) for over 11 essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B1, B2, B12, and E, iodine, selenium, iron, and folate. One serve of eggs provides over 20% of the RDI for protein and a substantial amount of long chain omega 3 fatty acids – or ‘good’ fats – as well as the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin.

While it’s easy to curl up on the couch with a hot drink, eat some comfort food while watching the TV, research has shown the simplest way to combat the winter blues and maintain a sunny outlook is via a diet high in ‘mood nutrients’ along with a regular dose of sunshine.

‘Mood nutrients’ such as folate, iron, protein, omega-3s and vitamin D have been shown to positively affect a person’s mood and help alleviate the signs of depression.

As one of nature’s superfoods containing at least 11 vitamins and minerals, eggs are an excellent way to maintain good nutrition and provide your body with a range of important nutrients that may help improve your mood and keep your immune system strong during the colder winter months.

Be on top of your mood this winter and eat plenty of fresh eggs. If you need egg recipes go to our recipes section for some great ideas

Dietary cholesterol is found in foods of animal origin like meat, dairy products, seafood and eggs. When we eat cholesterol from food, the body absorbs it and it goes into the bloodstream. It is then transported around the body and delivered to the places where it is needed.

Research conducted over the past 50 years shows egg consumption has only a small effect on raising total serum cholesterol levels in healthy people. Increasing dietary cholesterol from eggs by 100mg daily (equivalent to 3-4 eggs per week) results in an increase of only 0.05mmol/L in LDL cholesterol in most people. This effect is even less when saturated fat intake is low.

There are certain groups in the population, like those with diabetes, hyper-responders of dietary cholesterol and those with hyperlipidemia for whom more research is needed so that recommendations can be made as to how many eggs can be incorporated into different diets.

However, prudent advice based on the literature is that 3-4 eggs per week as a part of a balanced diet is not associated with increased risk.

Nutritional Value of Eggs

Eggs are a nutritional powerhouse providing 11 different vitamins and minerals, high quality protein, healthy fats (including omegas-3) and important antioxidants. Along with their nutritional value, eggs are tasty, convenient and good value for money making them an excellent part of a well balanced, healthy diet.