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White or brown: which eggs are healthier
What affects the color of the shell? Which is better to choose? So many questions – and we have answers to all of them.
Chicken eggs are an excellent dietary product rich in proteins, vitamins and amino acids. For high-quality protein, this natural product is appreciated by professional athletes and those who lead an active lifestyle. And since we all have to buy a dozen or two on a regular basis, we know well the prices for this product: they depend on the category of eggs, that is, the mass. The smallest (from 35 to 44,9 g) are marked with the third category, the largest (75 g and more) – the highest category. In theory, the color of the shell should not affect the price. But sometimes the price for eggs of the same category, but of different colors, changes – for example, before Easter, whites become an order of magnitude more expensive: it is believed that they are better painted, the colors look brighter. At other times of the year, browns become more expensive. They are believed to be healthier. Is it so?
Why are the shells different colors?
The shell is a protective hard limestone shell. Its chemical composition can be decomposed into calcium carbonate, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, silicon, aluminum and some other substances.
By the way, the mineral composition of the shell can be used when watering indoor plants, in some countries they even sell powder from crushed shells.
And the protoporphyrin IX pigment is responsible for the color of the shell, which colors the outer side of the shell – the inner, mind you, is always white. By the way, it is known that more brown eggs are now being produced on an industrial scale.
What determines the color of the egg?
It’s simple: the decisive factor is the breed of chickens, the color of the feathers and “earrings” (earlobes). White birds with light lobes lay eggs with white shells, chickens with dark plumage and red “earrings” – beige and brown, quails – spotted.
White eggs are laid by chickens specially bred as laying hens. These birds have no pigment in their plumage. Meat breeds of chickens do not differ in the uniformity of shell color – eggs can be cream, light brown and dark, almost red. But until the age when the hen begins to lay eggs, they simply do not survive. Young individuals produce eggs of small, but darker tones, and over time, the color of the shell lightens.
In poultry, the shade of the shell varies, because there is no such strict management technology as is accepted in industrial conditions. If the chickens are not closed in the hen house, but freely walk around the yard, then they have a more varied diet, sunlight. The color of the shell, the intensity of its tone, also depends on this. There are breeds of chickens that lay blue and green eggs.
By the way, before an egg hits store shelves, it undergoes quality control, one of the criteria of which is the uniformity of coloring and the smoothness of the shell. Roughness, unevenness of the shade is considered a disadvantage. Therefore, the eggs on sale are completely even and smooth. And domestic ones are distinguished by their variegation, multi-color, size and density of the shell.
Which eggs are healthier?
What can be stated unequivocally: the color of the shell does not affect the nutritional value of the product in any way. So buy at least white or brown eggs. The quality of the protein and yolk depends on the conditions of the poultry and the composition of the feed. If her diet contains components with coloring pigments, for example, plant foods, yellow corn, green grass, then the yolk will be almost orange. In purchased eggs, it is light yellow, because colorless feed is used in poultry farming.
Calcium supplements to feed make the shell strong, ideally the feed should contain calcium-containing substances – ground shell rock, shrimp shells, chalk, etc. The shell density also depends on the age of the bird. The younger the chicken, the stronger the calcareous shell will be. Therefore, some shells are hard and dense, others are more fragile and thin. This indicator is also measured and evaluated in production.