How about an egg with white yolk? Possible?

Egg is considered a complete food and is consumed by millions of people all over the world. Over the centuries eggs are consumed in one form or the other, most common form being boiled egg, fried egg and omelette. What does one look when a boiled egg is prepared for eating? The rubbery egg white and grainy yolk yellow in color. While the egg white is made up of one of the richest proteins known to mankind, egg yolk is mostly made of fat thus providing a balanced protein-fat combination. What will any one feel when a boiled egg does not contain the normal yellow colored yolk? Probably will not accept it as a genuine egg! Shockingly Japanese generally do not think so and they seem to be favoring an all white egg with both the egg white as well as the yolk appearing white! How can such eggs be created in the farm? Read below how they are managing such a unique type of egg in that country.  

"While many of us prefer eggs with deep coloured yolks,people in Japan like to have eggs with whiter interiors. To keep the 'egg lovers' happy, farmers in Japan are constantly trying to rear chicken that lay eggs with white yolks. Eggs with yellow yolks usually get their colour from chicken feed that's made of imported corn. The eggs, which are laid by rice-fed hens, owe their unusual colour to the diet of the chicken. These eggs are known as Kometsuya—a combination of Japanese words kome (rice) and tsuya (luster). Several chicken farms have already started transitioning their birds to feed that is mostly produced locally, reported the Japan Times. "In the not-too-distant future, white sunny-side ups will be part of the daily cuisine for Japanese," says an official of Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza shop in Japan."

In to day's commercial farming system, boosting the yolk color is achieved by feeding the birds with diets containing high levels of  carotenoids, an yellow component present in grains like maize and most vegetables and colored fruits. It is well known that wheat based feeds invariably give pale yellow yolk compared to feeds based on maize. Those who like dark yellow color incorporate greens and other plant sources rich in carotenoids. Japanese who love white yolk were able to achieve this by scrupulously avoiding carotenoids containing ingredients and use white rice as the major component of the poultry feed. One wonders which other country will accept an egg that doe not contain the yellow yolk! A classical example of traditional food habits which are difficult to change easily!

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

Cholesterol is no more a villain, so say the experts now!-Can we believe it?

After fat in the food was exonerated from its villainous role in CVD, Obesity and other life style disorders, it is now the turn of the Cholesterol to be liberated from the plethora of indictments in the past implicating it in heart disease. It was a gospel truth till recently that Cholesterol containing foods like meat and egg must be consumed very moderately and if possible must be avoided all together if one has to maintain good health. Same is true with dairy products like butter and cheese also avoided altogether or consumed less frequently for fear of Cholesterol build up and the consequent presumed arterial plaque development. It was only recently that health experts came out with a clear cut stand that butter and cheese need not be considered as unhealthy food and therefore can be consumed regularly by normal healthy consumers. The Cholesterol story also follows essentially the same logic and scientists seem to have realized rather late that after all Cholesterol is a biological nutrient present in the cells required for making Vitamin D by the sun light. Here is a commentary on this new twist in the nutrition science making people more comfortable with foods like egg without any guilty feeling.    . 

"(TRFW News) For over decades the nation's top nutrition advisory panel has debated the health benefits of cholesterol. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC), a group that provides dietary guidelines based on scientific findings, has portrayed cholesterol as the worst food one can consume, but several other studies have conflicted their notion. The guidelines for cholesterol have been recommended to keep it as low as possible in order to avoid potential consequences. However, recently the DGAC reconvened for their meetings to examine the recommendations on cholesterol and they reported that cholesterol should no longer be considered as a "nutrient of concern for overconsumption," which is a stark contrast from five years ago. (1) Eggs may no longer have to be feared Ever since 1961, cholesterol has been established in the dietary warnings developed by the American Heart Association. Years later, the federal government adopted the guidelines a,h these guidelines, a single yolk of an egg contains 200 milligrams leaving only a small amount to spare. (1,2) As a result, eating habits among Americans have shifted. Per capita egg consumption dropped about 30% and the egg farmers' business suffered. In addition, through various studies, the scientific community still remains divided due to differential research conclusions. (1) It is still unclear what the final decision for the new guidelines that will be due by the end of this year. According to Reuters, Dr. Robert Eckel, a past president of the American Heart Association and a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado in Denver, stated that there is not enough evidence to make a good recommendation yet, however, "no evidence doesn't mean the evidence is no." (2) For a long while, fats were feared and the guidelines established with cholesterol levels came as a result. It is unfortunate that the myths of cholesterol is actually harming people's health since biologically cholesterol is one of the most important molecules in the human body. It's vital for building of cells, and producing vitamin D, stress, and sex hormones. (3,4) Over the years, the recommendation for low-fat, low-cholesterol, and cholesterol lowering medications including statins, has been doing more harm than good. (3) When viewing cholesterol, one must consider the following:
    1. Vital for health. Cholesterol is found the body cells, which helps produce cell membranes, hormones, and bile acids, as well as in the bloodstreams. It helps the skin convert sun into vitamin D. It also insulates the nerve cells and protects brain health.
    2. No such thing as "good" or "bad" cholesterol. Cholesterol is divided into two parts HDL and LDL, containing lipoproteins, which are fats combined with proteins. Rather, there are "good" or "bad" lipoproteins and large LDL particles can be harmful causing damage and inflammation. It's good to focus on raising HDL levels.
    3. Focus on food quality. Replace processed foods with whole, plant-based foods. Stop obsessing on low-fat or no-fat foods and increase healthy consumption of fats. Optimize your vitamin D levels with sun exposure or good quality supplements. Consume plenty of fermented foods to keep your gut healthy. Get plenty of exercise (a good way to get more sun exposure is to go outdoors). Avoid statin drugs. And if you must, consume meat and eggs that come from organic, grass-fed sources. (5)"

Though this 180 degree turn by the health pundits can cause some outrage among consumers, it is better late than never. The erstwhile "guidelines" seem to have helped the pharmaceutical industry which have been hawking its Statin formulations to unsuspecting consumers based on certain maximum levels fixed arbitrarily by safety agencies few years ago.Between 1994 and 2006 massive promotion of statin drugs brought down the high cholesterol population (65-74 age bracket) from 87% to 54% in the US but did it bring down the number of people dying because of CVD? Absolutely not! It remained almost the same! However the statin industry world over increased their business reaching $ 29 billion per year at present. Probably most people taking statin drugs regularly may not need them at all but massive promotions, motivated or well financed scientific "findings" put out by the industry and unwary physicians have contributed this euphoria or mysteries about cholesterol! Will the 200 mg maximum limit under the present guidelines continue to be held as "sacred" as before? Probably we will have to wait to achieve unanimity on this issue before throwing our much revered statin drugs from the medicine chest at home.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

RAPID COOLING OF EGGS-A SAFER PRACTICE FOR POUlTRY INDUSTRY

Salmonella bacteria and poultry products are closely linked and to prevent the contamination of chicken derived foods by this much feared pathogen coming from both large poultry farms and smaller ones require effective preventive actions. While large farms with well designed cages can pre-empt contact between the bird feces and the freshly laid eggs, the small poultry farmers have to be more vigilant in sending salmonella free eggs to the market. There are sanitizing agents and other hygienic practices that can reasonably assure that egg is free from salmonella. Keeping quality of egg is another issue that is of concern to egg producers. The current refrigeration practices can only ensure a 6 weeks life before which the egg loses its prime grade quality and premium price. Recent development of a rapid cooling technology using liquid carbon dioxide is considered a boon to poultry farms in ensuring top quality for 12 weeks. Here is a take on this new development. 

"The rapid-cooling process, developed by Kevin Keener, a professor of food science, uses liquid carbon dioxide to stabilize the proteins in egg whites so much that they could be rated AA – the highest grade for eggs – for 12 weeks. Earlier research showed that the same cooling technology could significantly reduce occurrences of salmonella illnesses. Eggs cooled under current methods lose the AA grade in about six weeks, Keener said. "There is no statistical difference in quality between eggs as measured by Haugh units just after laying and rapidly cooled eggs at 12 weeks," he said. "This rapid cooling process can provide a significant extension in the shelf life of eggs compared to traditional processing." Haugh units measure an egg white's protein quality. Keener's results, published in the journal Poultry Science, also show that membranes surrounding the eggs' yolks were maintained for 12 weeks when eggs were rapidly cooled. That membrane is a barrier that keeps harmful bacteria from reaching the yolk, a nutrient-rich reservoir that bacteria could use as a food source".

Safe temperature for the eggs to prevent salmonella proliferation is 45F but if there is a delay in packing, the bacterial population can assume alarming size making it difficult to send to the market. It is in this context that liquid carbon dioxide cooling comes to the rescue of the egg producers and being simple in operation it is affordable to every one. Another advantage is that carbon dioxide is a toxic gas and no life can survive in its presence at certain concentration in the environment. Even sodium bicarbonate is an effective chemical when used in conjunction with an acid salt in generating carbon dioxide in adequate concentration in a closed environment and destroy salmonella. There are also egg washing powder preparations which if used immediately as soon as the egg is laid, can remove  bulk of the pathogen and further use of egg coating oil containing bactericidal chemicals is known to preserve the egg quality for more than 12 weeks. The new development of liquid carbon dioxide treatment makes egg preservation much faster, less tedious and more effective.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com