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A PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT RESOURCE FOR FORMULATING FOODS WITH NUTRITIONALLY SUPERIOR, NATURAL EGG INGREDIENTS

Don’t let news reports — somewarranted, many exaggerated —related to the current shell eggrecall impact your innovationefforts. Food manufacturers canhave confidencein the egg productsupply, as allfurther-processedand packaged eggproducts sold inthe United Statesare pasteurizedaccording to strict standards toensure their safety. Qualitycontrol departments require thateach and every egg productmeets federal, state and internalsafety checks. Egg productsmake the grade…always.The egg product safety recordassures food processors of theknowledge that they are using asafe ingredient when includingfurther processed, pasteurizedeggs. The nutritional andfunctional power of eggs issupplied by nature, while thesafety record is provided byproducers’ hard work andconscientious effort to implementbest practices. Government and privateindustries work together to

achieve this safety record, whichconforms to the Egg ProductsInspection Act that Congresspassed in 1970. The Act requiresall egg products distributed for

consumption to bepasteurized todestroySalmonella. Sincethe Act waspassed, there havebeen no recordedoutbreaks of

salmonellosis linked topasteurized egg products. Thissafety record is especiallyimpressive considering that morethan 76 billion eggs areconsumed annually, with slightlymore than 30% in the form of eggproducts in liquid, frozen ordried form. The first step in producing anegg product is removal from theshell. This is followed by filteringand cooling to maintain qualitywhile waiting for furtherprocessing, which may includethe addition of non-eggingredients, mixing or blending,stabilizing, pasteurizing, cooling,and packaging for freezing orsubsequent drying. “The USDA-approved

A newsletter for food manufacturers from the American Egg Board

Egg Products: Always a Safe Choice

(Continued inside cover)

Many consumers, who tradeddown from restaurant meals infavor of retail-prepared foodsthat require simple heatingprior to eating, are predicted tocontinue the habit even as thecountry’s financial situationimproves. A major influence onthis dining shift is the premiumpositioning of recent retailrollouts, ranging from frozenskillet meal kits to extended-shelf life refrigerated casserolesto microwaveable shelf-stableentrees.

Egg products can contribute tothe quality of these meals interms of functionality andnutrition. After all, eggsprovide “20-plus functions,”including aeration, or how eggslighten up foods; coagulation,or how eggs solidify;crystallization, or how eggsprevent ice crystaldevelopment; emulsification, or

(Continued inside)

The New Generationof Heat-and-Eat

Meals

Source: ConAgra Foods Inc.

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AEB Update: Revised Egg Product Resource CDThe American Egg Board debuted versionthree of its popular “Egg ProductInformation Resource” CD at the IFT2010 Annual Meeting + Food Expoin July. This updated resource nowincludes summaries of the mostrecent AEB-funded egg productresearch projects, the Egg Science &Tech Lesson Plan presentation, the“Eggs 101” DVD that highlightsmodern egg production practices,scientific-based technical information,new product formulations, nutritionalinformation, reference data, trend information andmore.

pasteurization (heat treatment) methods assurefood manufacturers that they’re using high-quality,safe egg products. The companies involved inproducing egg products conduct thousands ofquality assurance tests to be sure harmful bacteriaare destroyed during the pasteurization process,”says Dr. Patricia Curtis, Auburn UniversityProfessor and Director of the National EggProcessing Center.FDA regulations require qualifying statementswhen the terms “no hormones or antibiotics” aredeclared on labels for eggs. Additionally, nohormones or therapeutic antibiotics are used in theproduction of eggs for human food. Antibioticsmay be used occasionally, but eggs from treatedhens are removed from the market for a specifiedperiod of time in accordance with applicableregulations. Although pasteurized refrigerated eggs may havea limited shelf life of a few weeks, both frozen anddried egg products, when properly stored,maintain a stable shelf life for months. It isimportant that food processors manage incomingraw egg products to keep them safe. For example,frozen egg products should not be allowed to thawuntil it is time for immediate use. Refrigerated eggproducts should always be kept at 40°F or below.Dried egg products should flow freely and not becaked up or hardened, possible signs of

degradation. And, like with all ingredients, furtherprocessed egg products should be used well withinany expiration dates. Creating appealing food products with great taste

is challenge enough. Exceed your expectations andtake the worry about safety out of your formulation concerns with real egg products. Formore information about the wide variety ofpasteurized, government-inspected, further-processed egg products, contact the American EggBoard, 877/488-6143 or 847/296-7043, or visit:www.aeb.org.

Egg Products: Always a Safe Choice(Continued from front page)

The CD is free and is promoted throughweb banners on all major ingredientsupply publications websites. Acomplimentary copy, can also beobtained by visiting aeb.org/food-manufacturers/order-aeb-resources.Also, the Egg Nutrition Centerrecently redesigned its website andrefreshed its content to betterestablish itself as a source of credible,egg nutrition research for health

professionals. Researchers are also able tolearn about ENC research programs and apply

for grants online. Check it out:EggNutritionCenter.org.

Source: T.G.I. Friday’s

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how eggs improve creaminess; protein, or how eggsare an economical source of high-quality protein;and texture, or how eggs provide structure.For example, most pasta-based, heat-and-eat

entrées contain cooked pasta made with eggs. Eggwhite proteins provide structure and coagulativeproperties to noodles, which is especially importantfor cooked noodles held in a liquid or a high-moisture frozen medium. This is exemplified in thenew pasta-based Healthy Choice frozen steamingentrées featured as a new product innovationelsewhere in this EGGSaminer.Cooked pasta can also use whole egg products.

The egg yolk contains xanthophyll, a carotenoidthat has a yellow-orange pigment and gives theyolk its characteristic color. This pigmentcontributes a rich color to pasta, which is importantin frozen entrées such as new Contessa ShrimpPrimavera.An attribute that many of the new generation of

heat-and-eat entrées possess is simplicity. This

involves ingredient lines with readily recognizableingredients that a consumer could buy and have athome, such as eggs.Simplicity is an attempt to include the essential

ingredients in a food formulation, according to theNatural Marketing Institute, Harleysville, PA.,which has identified “pure & simple” as one of thetop trends for the new decade. In the heat-and-eatentrée category, simplicity has become the ultimatesophistication.Egg products are recognized by product

developers as bringing more to productformulations with less. “With 20-plus functions,some might say egg products are anything butsimple. But the truth is, egg products are uniquelypure and simple,” says Elisa Maloberti, director ofegg product marketing, American Egg Board, ParkRidge, IL. “Their inclusion on ingredient statementsis simple — egg, egg white or egg yolk — makingegg products a natural fit for gourmet heat-and-eatentrée formulations.”

The New Generation of Heat-and-Eat Meals(Continued from front page)

Egg yolks are the yellow portion of a whole egg.They comprise 30% to 33% of the total liquid weightof a whole egg and contain the entire fat content ofthe egg in a balanced mix of saturated,

monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acidswith no trans fatty acids. Yolks also contain a littleless than half of the protein of the whole egg and ahigh proportion of vitamins and minerals. Further,the yolk’s lipid profile includes a number offunctional and healthful nutrients, including lecithin,choline and carotenoids.

Egg Ingredient Spotlight:EEgggg YYoollkk PPrroodduuccttss

• The phospholipid lecithin, which acts as anemulsifying agent in foods such as sauces anddressings, can also be used to coat ingredients, aidingin their dispersion in a food matrix. In baked goods,lecithin reduces the rate of moisture loss as well asexerts a tenderizing effect.• Choline is an essential nutrient shown tosignificantly reduce the risk of breast cancer, as wellas contribute to fetal brain development.• The xanthophyll carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthinhave been shown to contribute to eye health, assistingwith preventing macular degeneration that can leadto blindness. The carotenoids make the yolk yellow,providing a rich color to baked goods, sauces anddressings.• Egg yolk is one of the few foods to naturallycontain vitamin D, a nutrient associated with bonehealth. Vitamin D deficiency is a growing concernamong the American population. Egg yolks are available in a wide variety of forms,

including dried, frozen and refrigerated for a host ofapplications. They are a nutrient-dense ingredientthat contributes to a clean label. To locate suppliers,visit: aeb.org/food-manufacturers/buyers-guide.

Source: Trentingrana

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Kozy Shack Strawberry & Banana Cream Puddings

Hicksville, NY-based Kozy Shack adds Strawberryand Banana Cream flavored puddings to its 22-ouncetub line-up. As with all of the company’s all-naturalrefrigerated puddings, eggs are a critical part of theformula,as eggsproviderichness,color andtexture.

Pillsbury Sweet MomentsBusy women crave small indulgences, and nothingsatisfies that moment quite like chocolate. Thatcraving can now be satisfied by new Pillsbury SweetMoments, a line of fully baked refrigerated dessertsthat are as indulgent as they are easy. The ready-to-

eat Bite-Size Browniesare layered with eithercaramel or chocolatefudge and covered in arich chocolate coating.The Molten LavaBrownies are layeredwith rich caramel orfudge and toppedwith decadent

chocolate and chocolate drizzle, all in a single-serving, microwavable bowl, which is ready in 15seconds. Eggs contribute to the premium, indulgenttexture of the brownies.

Kraft Sandwich Shop Mayo Kraft is looking to spice upsandwiches with its new line offlavored mayonnaises. There’sone full-fat variety — Hot &Spicy — and three reduced-fatofferings — Chipotle, Garlic &Herb and Horseradish-Dijon.Standards of identity mandatethe use of eggs in mayonnaise.Eggs are necessary forstabilizing the emulsion thatmakes this popular condimentsmooth, creamy and flavorful.

Friendly’s Ice Cream Cupcakes

Friendly Ice Cream Corp., Wilbraham, MA, uses eggsin the cake portion of its new ice cream cupcakes.Made with chocolatecake that is toppedwith all-naturalvanilla-flavored icecream, freshlywhipped icing anddecorations, this newdessert option isperfect for birthday parties or other special occasions.

Litehouse Kefir Salad Dressing

Now consumers can get the healthy benefits ofprobiotics in refrigerated yogurt salad dressing from

Litehouse Inc., Sandpoint,ID. Touted as containingkefir cultures, the newdressings come in threevarieties: Caesar, bleucheese, and ranch. Startingwith a base of yogurt,cultured buttermilk, kefirand canola oil mayonnaise,the dressings contain halfthe calories and half the fat

of regular salad dressing.

Healthy Choice Steaming Entrees

The Healthy Choice brand introduces a new line ofsteaming entrees that is raising the bar formicrowavable frozen meals. They are simple,delicious and healthy andhave a clear plastic tray thatenables consumers to see thelarge ingredients and thevivid colors of the vegetables,which are frozen at the peakof freshness. An innovativesteam-release vent in the filmensures an ultra-convenientcook time of about fourminutes, with no peeling, nopoking and no stirring. Three of the eightcontemporary recipes — Lemon Herb Chicken, GarlicHerb Shrimp and Chicken Romano Fresca — includecooked whole grain pasta. The pasta formula includesegg whites, which assists with maintaining pastaintegrity during freezing and heating process.

EGG PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

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Yogurt and fruit parfaits are very trendy, but not everyone likes yogurt. Can egg custard orpudding be used instead?

We’ve developed a line of frozen sauces that are included in skillet meal kits. Can egg productskeep these sauces smooth and creamy once they are thawed and heated?

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Similar to baked goods, egg yolks manage quality inproducts that go through freeze/thaw cycles. Plus,the phospholipids, lipoproteins and proteins foundin egg yolks are surface active agents that enablethe formation of emulsions between immiscibleliquids such as those used in the formulation ofsauces. Not only do these natural emulsifiers createsmooth, creamy textures, they also thicken, ahighly desirable feature in most types of sauces.

Egg products should almost always be part of such bakedgoods, as egg products build volume by incorporating airinto dough and batter. This process, referred to as aeration,coupled with egg proteins’ ability to coagulate and hold inthe air, makes eggs a critical leavening agent in manyrecipes. Further, egg proteins bind water, making water lessavailable for microorganisms to grow and cause spoilage, aswell as prevent certain foods, such as baked goods fromdrying out. The fats in the yolk produce a tender, softer crumb

and retard the onset and rate of firming that occurs with age. The yolks also encouragethe formation of small ice crystals, which improves the texture and acceptability ofproduct going through freeze/thaw cycles.

In-store bakeries are asking for products to simplify their efforts. Can egg products be used inpar-baked doughs and frozen premium baked goods that are thawed and sold for immediatesale?

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Source: BJ’s Wholesale Club

Source: Applebees

Source: Chick-fil-A

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Inside this issue...•• Egg Products: Always aSafe Choice

•• The New Generation ofHeat-and-Eat Meals

•• AEB Update: Revised EggProduct Resource CD

•• Egg Ingredient Spotlight:Egg Yolk Products

•• Solutions to CommonlyAsked Questions

•• Egg Product Innovations

Here’s your new edition of

How can I get on The EGGSaminermailing list?

The EGGSaminer is published semi-annually anddistributed free to food manufacturers andbakeries across the country. If you would like anindividual subscription to The EGGSaminer,send us your name, title, company, and address.

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FFaallll 22001100

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

AMERICAN EGG BOARD1460 Renaissance Drive

P.O. Box 738Park Ridge, IL 60068-1340

AEB is sponsoring an applications lab on Thursday, October 7 at thePrepared Foods R&D Applications Seminar in Lombard, IL. This interactivesession entitled “20+ Functions — Eggs Can Do That, Too!” will demonstratethe many functions of egg products. Attendees will have the chance to

experience how egg products makeformulations better. For more information,visit: RDSeminarchicago.com.

AEB has also teamed up with Prepared Foods magazine to host a one-hourfree Webinar on breakfast food trends on Wednesday, November 10 at 3:00pmEST. Speakers will provide insight to consumer eating behavior at-home andaway-from-home, what’s changing and what opportunities exist for foodformulators in consumer package goods and foodservice. Register at:webinars.preparedfoods.com.

Learn More About Eggs…Application Lab and Webinar Opportunities

Non ProfitUS Postage Paid

AEB

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