Eggs

Many people believe that eating eggs may be bad for your health. For years it was recommended that people with high cholesterol levels avoid eggs especially the yolk. But it turns out the cholesterol content for which they have been blamed is much lower than it was 10 years ago. This reduction is due to the changes in chicken feed since the BSE crisis in the 1990s. Some brands of egg now contain omega-3 fatty acids, depending on what the chickens have been fed. British research shows that a medium egg contains about 100 mg of cholesterol, a third of the 300 mg recommended daily limit.

Here are some excellent reasons to justify why eating eggs can make you healthier, brainier, leaner and stronger. Eggs are a very good source of inexpensive, high quality protein. More than half the protein of an egg is found in the egg white. The whites are rich sources of selenium, vitamin D, B6, B12 and minerals such as zinc, iron and copper. However, the majority of an egg’s nutrient package is found in the yolk. They are the source of cholesterol, fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and lecithin - the compound that enables emulsification in recipes such as hollandaise or mayonnaise.

Eggs are a common food allergen; particularly among young children therefore it is best not to give eggs to children below one year of age. Delay introduction of eggs until age 2 if there is a family history of allergies or asthma.

A fresh egg will sink in water, a stale one will float but it is perfectly safe to use.

The fresher the egg, the more difficult it is to peel after hard cooking therefore don’t use very fresh eggs if you need to use hard boiled eggs in your recipes or for celebration purposes.

Eggs are perishable just like raw meat, poultry, and fish. Unbroken, clean, fresh shell eggs may contain Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) bacteria that can cause food borne illness. While the number of eggs affected is quite small, there have been cases of food borne illness in the last few years. Young children, older adults, pregnant women (the risk is to the unborn child), and people with a weakened immune system are particularly vulnerable to Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) infections. Bacteria can be on the outside of a shell egg. This is because the egg exits the hen's body through the same passageway as faeces. It is also possible for Salmonella Enteritidis to enter the eggs through the pores of the shells after they are laid. This is why the processing plant washes and sanitizes the eggs before packing them.

However, I have seen small traces of faeces stuck on the shells of some eggs. That is why I always wash the eggs before I put them in the fridge.

Soak the eggs in cold water for 5 minutes

Use a brush and gently scrub the shell

Rinse and put into a colander

Let the eggs dry before putting them in the fridge