Coming to the store, almost every person is faced with the question of how to choose the right fresh, delicious egg for breakfast. There are usually several types of eggs on the shelves. Labeling eggs will help you figure out which egg will benefit you.
According to the requirements of Russian legislation, all eggs produced by the poultry farm must be labeled accordingly. A stamp is placed on the side of each egg.
The marking consists of two parts. The first sign is the age of the product (maximum permissible shelf life), the second sign of the egg marking is the category (egg size).
The first marking sign is Russian letters, the second is a number.
There are two dietary and dining rooms.
Table eggs are marked with the letter “C”. They are most often marked with blue or purple ink. It is acceptable that there is no marking on the egg if the shelf life is indicated on the packaging (container) itself for storing and carrying eggs. The only condition: the expiration date should not be inside the container itself, it should be placed in a visible place. Table eggs are stored at room temperature up to 25 days; in the refrigerator they can last up to three months.
The labeling of a dietary egg is the letter “D”. The stamp is applied in red ink. A diet egg is not a special type or variety of egg, as some buyers believe. It is distinguished from the dining room by its exceptional freshness. Such an egg will not be able to withstand temperatures below zero and must be sold within seven days. The day the hen laid the egg is not taken into account. Due to their short shelf life and sale, dietary eggs always remain fresh. A distinctive feature is the possibility of eating dietary eggs raw. The white in such an egg has a dense structure, and the yolk is dense, does not dangle, the air sac inside the egg is about four millimeters in height.
Note: Dietary fresh eggs are always difficult to peel.
The second part of egg labeling is a number or letter indicating the category, or size, of the egg.
According to state standards, it is customary to distinguish categories marked “1”, “2”, “3”, “B”, “O”:
Sometimes you can see the words “organic” on egg packages. This does not apply to the Russian classification and is printed by manufacturers to attract the attention of buyers to the fact that the chickens that laid the eggs ate environmentally friendly feed. There is no government control over this information.
What does the “SV” marking on eggs mean? This is a table egg of the highest category. That is, this egg can be stored indoors for up to 25 days and weighs more than 75 grams. By the same principle, the “D2” marking will mean that its shelf life is no more than a week, and its size ranges from 45-55 grams.
Often on shelves, especially in border cities, you can see the markings “S” - “XL”. What does it mean? The fact is that most countries in Europe and the world use category designations in Latin, and the number in the labeling indicates the country in which the egg was produced.
So, according to international standards, “1” means that the country of production is Belgium, “2” is Germany, “3” is France, and six indicates the Netherlands.
Latin letters have the following meanings:
In cookbooks, the default cooking method is third grade eggs, or "S" size eggs.
One of the criteria for classifying eggs is the permissible storage duration.
Taking this into account, two groups are distinguished: table and dietary eggs.
Table eggs are stored for no more than twenty-five days at room temperature, in the refrigerator - ninety days. A blue stamp is placed on the shell with the obligatory indication of the category.
In addition, eggs are classified by weight.
The mass allows us to distinguish the following categories:
When purchasing, you should pay attention to the date the eggs were sorted. After all, the fresher the egg, the better it is. It is advisable that the sorting date be close to the date of purchase.
In addition, the location of egg production matters. It is better to choose instances from your region.
All chicken eggs must comply with the requirements of the state standard, sanitary and epidemiological rules and veterinary legislation.
GOSTchicken eggs establishes a number of requirements for product quality.
An examination is carried out to determine the type and freshness of eggs.
Chicken eggs that meet the requirements of GOST are used for industrial processing and sale in stores.
A product with a dirty shell is packaged separately, the container is provided with an appropriate label and sent for quick use in the confectionery and bakery industries.
GOST also establishes the shelf life of eggs - no more than twenty-five days from the date of sorting at a temperature of zero to plus twenty degrees - a household refrigerator.
eggs s-0, s-1, s-2 what is the difference?
According to current Russian standards, every egg produced at a poultry farm must be marked. The first character in the labeling indicates the permissible shelf life:
The letter D stands for dietary egg; such eggs are sold within 7 days.
The letter C stands for a table egg, which is sold within 25 days.
The second sign in the marking indicates the category of the egg depending on its mass:
Third category (3) from 35 to 44.9 g.
Second category (2) from 45 to 54.9 g.
First category (1) from 55 to 64.9 g.
Selected egg (O) from 65 to 74.9 g.
Highest category (B) 75 g or more.
Thus, the CB marking is indicated on table eggs of the highest category, and D1 on dietary eggs of the first category.
Regardless of the category of chicken egg, manufacturers can give it a number of interesting properties. For example, there are eggs on the market with a bright yolk and two yolks, enriched with selenium or iodine.
shelf lifedietary" or " dining room».
Dietary
canteen category. Table eggs
best before date And date of manufacture
The eggs themselves may not be marked, if they are packed in container with label
Now let's deal with categories egg weight third category, second first categoryselected", designated letter « O highest giant categoryV».
Here
S– less than 53 g
M– 53–63 g
L– 63–73 g
XL– 73 g and more
By the way
organic
In EU countries, USA and Japan
What do we have?
So for now inscription « organic doesn't guarantee us anything
functional foods».
white or dark? Which eggs are better only from the breed of chicken
Eggs in medical nutrition: what type of eggs to choose
Date added: 2013-10-20
Chicken eggs should be sorted into dietary, table and small. TO dietary include eggs that have a clean and strong shell, a motionless shell no larger than 4 mm in size, a strong, barely noticeable yolk that occupies a central position in the egg and an invisible germinal disc. The mass of such eggs must be at least 58 g (1st category) or at least 44 g (2nd category). Table eggs are also divided into 2 categories: the 1st includes eggs with a clean, strong and whole shell, a fixed air chamber. The yolk of such eggs is strong, inconspicuous, occupying a central position in the egg, the white is dense, translucent, the height of the puga is not more than 11 mm, the weight of one egg is not less than 47 g; Category 2 includes eggs with a clean, strong and whole shell, slight contamination in the form of individual dots is allowed, the shell moves easily and can have a height of up to 13 mm, the yolk is weakened, clearly visible when the egg is scanned, the weight of one egg is not less than 43 g Chicken eggs that have all the indicators of good quality, but weighing less than 43 g, are defined as. small.
Diet eggs stored at temperatures from 0 to 20 °C - 7 days; dining rooms - at a temperature not higher than 20 °C - 25 days, at a temperature from 0 to 2 °C - no more than 120 days. If the shell is contaminated, the shelf life of eggs is significantly reduced.
It is considered optimal to consume three egg yolks per week; egg whites can also be eaten in more. Eggs in the diet go well with cucumbers, green onions, greens, salad.
The digestibility of heat-treated eggs is better than raw eggs., since under the influence of a temperature of about 80 ° C the antitryptic enzyme of the egg is destroyed, and the unfavorable avidin-biotin complex is also broken down. Boiled egg white is absorbed by 97-98%, leaving no waste in the intestines, and has a local healing effect in the inflammatory process and the acid-forming function of the stomach. Crude protein is more difficult to digest, but it is more effective in reducing the acidity of gastric juice. Soft-boiled eggs are best digested.
Whole egg recommended for gastric and duodenal ulcers, chronic gastroduodenitis with increased secretion in the stomach. Egg white used in therapeutic nutrition for diseases of the liver and gall bladder, intestines, gout, diabetes mellitus (see Diabetes mellitus), obesity.
For constipation and obesity (see Causes of obesity) are preferable hard-boiled eggs. However, eggs should not be boiled for long as Prolonged heat treatment destroys the essential amino acids of protein.
Egg yolk has a pronounced choleretic effect, causing contraction of the gallbladder. This property of the yolk is used for x-ray diagnosis of gallbladder disorders. And that is why the yolk is limited in the diet of patients with cholecystitis and cholelithiasis. In addition, yolk cholesterol may be involved in the formation of cholesterol stones during bile stagnation and biliary tract infections. It should also be noted that for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract egg yolk difficult to digest.
A large amount of lecithin, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, cobalt, vitamins B12, B6, folic acid (see Folacin (folic acid)) makes eggs especially valuable for anemia of various etiologies (see Anemia (anemia)). Retinol, which is part of the yolk, improves the regeneration of the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract and skin, which can be used in the treatment of their diseases.
Please be aware that eggs can cause food allergies (see Signs of a Food Allergy). At the same time boiled eggs have a less pronounced sensitizing effect than raw ones.
An article for the website RUmed4u.ru has been prepared
The hen laid an egg, and a stamp was immediately placed on its side. As a rule, every egg produced at a poultry farm is marked. The first character in the marking means shelf life, read – the age of the egg; the second is the category, that is, its size. The beginning of our cipher can be the letter “d” or “s”, which means, respectively, “ dietary" or " dining room».
Dietary An egg is considered to be one that will not be stored at sub-zero temperatures and must be sold within 7 days. The day of his “birth” is not counted. That is, “dietary” is not some kind of special variety, but just a very fresh egg.
The yolk in it is motionless, the white is dense, and the height of the space occupied by air is no more than 4 mm. The marking on a dietary egg is usually applied in red ink and includes the date and month of its “birth” - as confirmation of its “dietary status”. Time passes, the white in the egg dries out somewhat, the yolk shrinks, becomes mobile, and after a week the void increases to 7–9 mm.
And the diet egg goes into canteen category. Table eggs They are quite edible, but they live by different rules. You should know that the shelf life of table eggs at room temperature does not exceed 25 days from the date of laying, in the refrigerator - no more than 90 days. The shell of an egg that is initially destined to become table eggs is usually marked with a blue stamp indicating only the category.
A competent consumer always pays attention to best before date And date of manufacture product, including eggs. After all, a “red” testicle according to the passport may turn out to be “blue” according to age.
The eggs themselves may not be marked, if they are packed in container with label containing the necessary information. But the label must be placed in such a way that we have to tear it off when opening the container.
Now let's deal with categories– the second part of our cipher. She talks about egg weight. Let's start with the smallest - from 35 to 44.9 grams - this is third category, second– from 45 to 54.9 grams, large eggs weighing from 55 to 64.9 grams – first category. The largest ones - weighing from 65 to 74.9 grams - fall into the category " selected", designated letter « O" It is rare, but eggs weighing more than 75 grams are found - such giants are awarded highest giant category, they are entitled to the honorary letter “ V».
When purchasing imported eggs, you should pay attention to the fact that the packaging must indicate: the class of the product and its weight category, the number of eggs in the package; the name and address of the company that packed the eggs or for whose order they were packed; conditional number of the package; best before date; instructions for storage or use.
Hereweight categories for these eggs:
S– less than 53 g
M– 53–63 g
L– 63–73 g
XL– 73 g and more
The first digit of the number on the package indicates in which EU country the eggs were packed. Most often this is Belgium (number 1), Germany (2), France (3) or Holland (6). If you buy eggs individually and not in packaging, the same data should be indicated on the price tag.
By the way
In recipes, the weight of one egg is usually considered to be 40 grams, that is, a small egg of the third category is meant.
A person who is accustomed to thinking about the meaning of words and concepts will face a difficult test in a modern supermarket. Here, for example, is what the word “ organic"on the packaging of eggs? Has a new method of artificially producing eggs without the participation of a laying hen already been discovered?
What about the prefixes “bio” and “eco”? How should we treat them? Do they contain any information about the contents of the shell or is it just a tribute to the fashion for everything natural?
In EU countries, USA and Japan Buyers have long been free from such speculation, because all these concepts are clearly defined and regulated by law. There are standards systems around the world that regulate the field of organic food production. There are some differences in the definition of the “degree of organic” of a product in America and Europe, but general principle universal.
Only that product has the right to be called organic if all its components are produced and grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, bioengineering and ionizing radiation. In organic livestock farming, the use of growth stimulants and other hormones, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as feed is prohibited; The use of vitamins, antibiotics and other veterinary drugs is strictly limited. Special requirements are imposed on the conditions of detention and water.
Only with strict adherence to these rules (which is verified by a certification company) does the manufacturer receive a document allowing it to put the “organic” label. Certifying companies, in turn, are regularly inspected by inspection authorities for compliance and compliance with the law.
Thus, in Europe, America and Japan, the inscription “organic” on the packaging of eggs essentially means: these are eggs from chickens that have the opportunity to free-range in natural fields under the sun, which are fed exclusively with natural feed, rich in chlorophyll, and in winter - seaweed .
What do we have? Until mid-summer 2008, in our country, the degree of compliance of “organic” products with any standards was left to manufacturers and sellers. In this situation, consumers could only rely on their conscience. In July, Rospotrebnadzor issued a decree on sanitary and hygienic requirements for organic products. However, the newly born legislative framework in this area is not yet supported by either the certification or inspection systems. In addition, according to the rules, before a field or farm can be called “organic”, it must undergo “purification”, that is, last a certain period of time without chemical fertilizers and other substances prohibited in this system.
So for now inscription « organic» on the packaging of eggs in our supermarkets doesn't guarantee us anything. There are organizations that have developed their own voluntary environmental certification systems.
However, they approve standards for “organic” and “environmentally friendly” products independently, based on their own requirements. Some of the manufacturers send their products for voluntary laboratory research, for example, to the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. What conclusion can we draw from all this?
Carefully read all the labels on the packaging, try to look for additional information about the manufacturer you are interested in. Be critical. Unfortunately, we also cannot give a recommendation to trust such markings on imported goods, because our country currently does not have a certification check for compliance with the stated standards.
Well, okay, in which basket should we put a variety of “smart” eggs with iodine, “village” eggs with carotenoids, “fitness” eggs with selenium, “vitamin” eggs with a high content of acids? Let's try it in the basket with the inscription " functional foods».
According to the manufacturers, their place is there. Functional (or fortified) are products that have been increased or restored nutritional value. In our case, the enrichment of eggs with various additives is carried out by adding appropriate preparations to the feed of laying hens. Manufacturers may call this “creating products with specified properties.”
Nutritionists do not have a common opinion about the effect of such products on the body, and our bodies are different: one benefits from iodine or acid, while another means death. We can only conclude that in this case the egg cannot be both “functional” and “organic”.
Finally, when we have more or less figured out the “formal characteristics”, we still need to answer the question once and for all: white or dark? Which eggs are better? What does the color of an eggshell indicate? Here experts agree: the color of the shell depends only from the breed of chicken. Giving preference to certain eggs based on shell color is a purely aesthetic choice.
Let all this help you choose the best eggs from the store variety. Because all doctors and nutritionists agree that a chicken egg is a unique and remarkable product in its composition and dietary properties.
Not only do we love eggs, but also the causative agent of a serious infectious disease - the salmonella bacterium. Protecting yourself from this uninvited guest is not so difficult.
Keywords
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Which eggs are more profitable to buy 1st grade or selected?
Both sellers and buyers expect to receive benefits. Therefore, the question is also quite logical: which eggs are more profitable to trade? The answer, obviously, to such questions cannot be unambiguous. Every time before buying (selling) you need to take into account many factors and make a decision every time...
Of course, this is entirely your choice. First of all, regardless of the type of egg, you should look at the egg itself and what it looks like. For frying in a pan, it is better to take first-quality eggs, as they burn less. Selected ones are more suitable if you cook them.
Yes, natural, large, selected. The main thing is not to fall for artificial Chinese eggs. China is now producing artificial eggs. They generally have two yolks in the whole batch. They look absolutely like the real thing.
I think that it is not profitable to buy selected ones, even though they are larger. If you always beat three fried eggs in a frying pan, you will continue to do this despite the increased size of the egg. The portion will increase imperceptibly, and financial expenses will increase significantly.
Which eggs are best to buy? It's not that simple. Eggs are divided into categories based on their weight. But the difference is so borderline that if an egg weighs 1 gram more, it is already selected, and if it weighs 1 gram less, it is first grade. I always estimate egg size by eye. If there is a clear difference, then I buy the best ones, but if they look a millimeter larger than the first-class ones, what’s the point of paying more?
Eggs are a very profitable product for deceiving the buyer, since they are sold not by weight, but by the dozen. However, it is believed that the larger the egg, the more profitable it is to buy. This means that it is better to purchase selected ones.
The weight of selected eggs is approximately 10% higher than that of first grade eggs. Compare (as a percentage) the difference in prices, it will immediately become clear to you which is more profitable. With the caveat that we are talking about eggs from the same manufacturer and fresh (not marked down).
1st grade and selected ones differ in weight by about 10 g. The price differs by the same percentage. So you won’t be able to save much on the difference in egg mass.
But I always buy smaller eggs, if available, even 2nd grade. They are no worse in quality and composition. But the mutant-sized eggs, as well as the huge, pterodactyl-like legs, raise my doubts. The chickens are fed hormones and other growth enhancers that I wouldn't want to eat. And grandma always told me that small eggs come from young chickens, and big ones come from old ones. I don’t know if this is a myth, but out of habit I buy young ones.
We always try to take the best eggs. It looks much larger than a 1st grade egg. In addition, when you start cooking, there are usually not enough small eggs and you have to break one more - an additional one.
So the benefit here is extremely vague.
We take 70 pieces, enough for 1.5 - 2 months. Small ones last for even less time; you have to go earlier to buy them.
It seems to me that there is no benefit, because the price for 1 grade and for selected ones are different, and selected ones cost more accordingly.
In principle, if you focus only on weight, then you must first compare the price of a dozen of these and other eggs.
Many consumers believe that smaller eggs are laid by younger hens, and larger eggs by older ones. And what healthier than eggs from young chickens. Recently, I began to take smaller ones, based on these considerations.
We welcome you, dearly beloved guests and regular readers of our site! Today we will analyze the categories of chicken eggs, what is their difference and what benefits or harm they contain. Chicken eggs are included in the diet from the first months of a person’s life in the form of complementary foods to provide a sufficient amount of vitamin D to the baby.
In subsequent years, the chicken delicacy is consumed raw, boiled, fried, and added to salads, creams and other dishes. This popularity of the product is due to beneficial properties.
Eggs are readily used in cosmetology, adding a component to hair masks, shampoos, and other care products, which confirms the value and benefits of this product.
Today the market offers 2 types of chicken eggs that meet the state standard. The division is based on the period and method of storage (age of the product). Both each copy and one package are stamped.
Attention! Both types of eggs are suitable for consumption, taking into account the indicated shelf life. This classification does not show the worst and the best.
Information: how to check the freshness of eggs is described in detail in another article, so we will not dwell on this issue.
Interesting: in recipes, the egg ingredient is meant to weigh 40.0 grams, which corresponds to the 3rd category.
Today, the range of chicken products surprises consumers with their diversity. They sell eggs enriched with selenium and iodine, with two yolks, and different shell colors.
The categories of chicken eggs “bio” and “eco” are assigned if the black whale grew and laid free-range and was fed with natural products. This characteristic is dubious, without a guarantee in relation to the CIS countries, unlike its European neighbors.
People suffering from diabetes should not eat this product - it will double the risk of stroke and heart attack.
Those who like to “drink” the delicacy run the risk of becoming infected with salmonella. You can avoid this by washing the product with soap under running water, or better yet, boiling it.
Excessive consumption of yolk increases cholesterol. It is not advisable to eat more than two units a day.
Middle-aged men should not eat more than seven testicles per week, as they contribute to the formation of plaques in the blood vessels: the risk of premature death.
So what color shell indicates usefulness? Why are some light, white, others brown? There is no mystery, as well as the dependence of the color of the shell on the quality of the egg. The shade of the outer shell is related only to the breed of laying hen. Choosing light dark specimens is the right of visual preference.
Preferences for the type, category, and color of a dietary delicacy are individual. They have one thing in common: their usefulness, confirmed by doctors and nutritionists.
Make decisions easily! Good luck!
How to choose chicken eggs in a store or market? What are their varieties, what types of eggs are there? What does egg marking mean, what weight categories are there for eggs? What, finally, is meant by the terms dietary eggs and table eggs? Gastronom.ru decided to look into the issue.
The hen laid an egg, and a stamp was immediately placed on its side. As a rule, every egg produced at a poultry farm is marked. The first character in the marking means shelf life, read – the age of the egg; the second is the category, that is, its size. The beginning of our cipher can be the letter “d” or “s”, which means, respectively, “ dietary" or " dining room».
Dietary An egg is considered to be one that will not be stored at sub-zero temperatures and must be sold within 7 days. The day of his “birth” is not counted. That is, “dietary” is not some special variety, but simply a very fresh egg.
The yolk in it is motionless, the white is dense, and the height of the space occupied by air is no more than 4 mm. The marking on a dietary egg is usually applied in red ink and includes the date and month of its “birth” - as confirmation of its “dietary status”. Time passes, the white in the egg dries out somewhat, the yolk shrinks, becomes mobile, and after a week the void increases to 7–9 mm.
And the diet egg goes into canteen category. Table eggs They are quite edible, but they live by different rules. You should know that the shelf life of table eggs at room temperature does not exceed 25 days from the date of laying, in the refrigerator - no more than 90 days. The shell of an egg that is initially destined to become table eggs is usually marked with a blue stamp indicating only the category.
A competent consumer always pays attention to best before date And date of manufacture product, including eggs. After all, a “red” testicle according to the passport may turn out to be “blue” according to age.
The eggs themselves may not be marked, if they are packed in container with label containing the necessary information. But the label must be placed in such a way that we have to tear it off when opening the container.
Now let's deal with categories– the second part of our cipher. She talks about egg weight. Let's start with the smallest - from 35 to 44.9 grams - this is third category, second– from 45 to 54.9 grams, large eggs weighing from 55 to 64.9 grams – first category. The largest ones - weighing from 65 to 74.9 grams - fall into the category " selected", designated letter « O" It is rare, but eggs weighing more than 75 grams are found - such giants are awarded highest giant category, they are entitled to the honorary letter “ V».
When purchasing imported eggs, you should pay attention to the fact that the packaging must indicate: the class of the product and its weight category, the number of eggs in the package; the name and address of the company that packed the eggs or for whose order they were packed; conditional number of the package; best before date; instructions for storage or use.
Hereweight categories for these eggs:
S– less than 53 g
M– 53–63 g
L– 63–73 g
XL– 73 g and more
The first digit of the number on the package indicates in which EU country the eggs were packed. Most often this is Belgium (number 1), Germany (2), France (3) or Holland (6). If you buy eggs individually and not in packaging, the same data should be indicated on the price tag.
By the way
In recipes, the weight of one egg is usually considered to be 40 grams, that is, a small egg of the third category is meant.
A person who is accustomed to thinking about the meaning of words and concepts will face a difficult test in a modern supermarket. Here, for example, is what the word “ organic"on the packaging of eggs? Has a new method of artificially producing eggs without the participation of a laying hen already been discovered?
What about the prefixes “bio” and “eco”? How should we treat them? Do they contain any information about the contents of the shell or is it just a tribute to the fashion for everything natural?
In EU countries, USA and Japan Buyers have long been free from such speculation, because all these concepts are clearly defined and regulated by law. There are standards systems around the world that regulate the field of organic food production. There are some differences in the definition of the “degree of organicity” of a product in America and Europe, but the general principle is universal.
Only that product has the right to be called organic if all its components are produced and grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, bioengineering and ionizing radiation. In organic livestock farming, the use of growth stimulants and other hormones, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as feed is prohibited; The use of vitamins, antibiotics and other veterinary drugs is strictly limited. Special requirements are imposed on the conditions of detention and water.
Only with strict adherence to these rules (which is verified by a certification company) does the manufacturer receive a document allowing it to put the “organic” label. Certifying companies, in turn, are regularly inspected by inspection authorities for compliance and compliance with the law.
Thus, in Europe, America and Japan, the inscription “organic” on the packaging of eggs essentially means: these are eggs from chickens that have the opportunity to free-range in natural fields under the sun, which are fed exclusively with natural feed, rich in chlorophyll, and in winter - seaweed .
What do we have? Until mid-summer 2008, in our country, the degree of compliance of “organic” products with any standards was left to manufacturers and sellers. In this situation, consumers could only rely on their conscience. In July, Rospotrebnadzor issued a decree on sanitary and hygienic requirements for organic products. However, the newly born legislative framework in this area is not yet supported by either the certification or inspection systems. In addition, according to the rules, before a field or farm can be called “organic”, it must undergo “purification”, that is, last a certain period of time without chemical fertilizers and other substances prohibited in this system.
So for now inscription « organic» on the packaging of eggs in our supermarkets doesn't guarantee us anything. There are organizations that have developed their own voluntary environmental certification systems.
However, they approve standards for “organic” and “environmentally friendly” products independently, based on their own requirements. Some of the manufacturers send their products for voluntary laboratory research, for example, to the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. What conclusion can we draw from all this?
Carefully read all the labels on the packaging, try to look for additional information about the manufacturer you are interested in. Be critical. Unfortunately, we also cannot give a recommendation to trust such markings on imported goods, because our country currently does not have a certification check for compliance with the stated standards.
Well, okay, in which basket should we put a variety of “smart” eggs with iodine, “village” eggs with carotenoids, “fitness” eggs with selenium, “vitamin” eggs with a high content of acids? Let's try it in the basket with the inscription " functional foods».
According to the manufacturers, their place is there. Functional (or fortified) are products that have had their nutritional value increased or restored. In our case, the enrichment of eggs with various additives is carried out by adding appropriate preparations to the feed of laying hens. Manufacturers may call this “creating products with specified properties.”
Nutritionists do not have a common opinion about the effect of such products on the body, and our bodies are different: one benefits from iodine or acid, while another means death. We can only conclude that in this case the egg cannot be both “functional” and “organic”.
Finally, when we have more or less figured out the “formal characteristics”, we still need to answer the question once and for all: white or dark? Which eggs are better? What does the color of an eggshell indicate? Here experts agree: the color of the shell depends only from the breed of chicken. Giving preference to certain eggs based on shell color is a purely aesthetic choice.
Let all this help you choose the best eggs from the store variety. Because all doctors and nutritionists agree that a chicken egg is a unique and remarkable product in its composition and dietary properties.
Not only do we love eggs, but also the causative agent of a serious infectious disease - the salmonella bacterium. Protecting yourself from this uninvited guest is not so difficult.
Keywords
Illustrations for the material: shutterstock
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When choosing chicken eggs in a store, buyers usually focus on the expiration date and cost of the product. Few people think about product labeling, although it is by this labeling that one can determine the freshness and beneficial properties of the product. There are also folk ways of determining the quality of eggs - by lowering them into water or spinning them on a horizontal surface. But such methods are not always convenient and accessible, especially when choosing products in a store. And knowing the decoding of the code printed on the product, you can easily evaluate and select the highest quality and freshest eggs from the entire range presented.
Depending on the time that has passed since the eggs were laid, they are divided into two groups: dietary and table. Dietary products are marked with a red stamp with the letter “D”.
A red stamp is applied to the diet egg
It is assumed that such eggs are fresh, and no more than seven days have passed since they were laid. Dietary products are subject to certain requirements according to GOST: they must have a uniformly colored yolk, dense white, and an air gap of no more than 4 mm. Only single dots or stripes are allowed on the shell. It is unlikely that an ordinary consumer will be able to assess the compliance of a particular product with all these requirements - such an assessment is carried out selectively and in a specialized laboratory.
Diet eggs are difficult to find in modern stores. After all, quite a lot of time is spent on collecting, sorting, packaging, distributing to warehouses and transporting products, so stores prefer not to deal with such goods and buy table eggs. Such products are marked with a blue stamp and must be sold within 25 days. Thus, a newly laid egg during the first week of storage is classified as dietary. Starting from the second week, it does not become spoiled (subject to storage conditions), but goes into the canteen category.
A table egg can be identified by a blue stamp
Eggs classified as table eggs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 90 days. Unlike dietary products, products in this category allow mobility of the yolk, low protein density and an air gap of more than 4 mm (usually 5–9 mm). If there are spots or stripes on the shell, they should not occupy more than 12.5% of the total surface area.
The main parameter in classification is mass. Based on this feature, the following categories of chicken eggs are distinguished:
There is also a group called “selected” with a mass of 65 to 74.9 g. Such products are marked with the letter “O”. A table egg classified in this category will be marked with a blue “C0” stamp.
Product units weighing more than 75 g are marked with the letter “B” on the shell and/or packaging, which means the highest category.
In accordance with GOST 31654–2012 “Chicken eggs for food. Specifications", there may be no marking on the shell of each egg if the necessary information is available on the container in which the products are supplied. But this is allowed only if it cannot be opened without visible damage. Such restrictions are necessary to prevent misgrading or substitution of product units between different packages.
If the package can be easily opened and closed without damaging the label, then each egg should be stamped with the category.
If products in a store are displayed in such containers, then each egg must be labeled
Chicken eggs become an essential part of the diet for many people, as they contain a large amount of essential nutrients, vitamins and microelements.
But modern science often makes consumers doubt the benefits of such products and even begins to convince them that their use is harmful to health. In order to objectively assess the need for eggs in the daily diet, you need to consider chemical composition product.
Each egg consists of a shell, white and yolk, and these, in turn, contain proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and water. But the ratio by weight of these components varies depending on the breed of chickens, diet, age, region and conditions of keeping hens. Younger hens usually lay small testicles, which are classified as category 3 or 2.
Each unit includes the following components:
Recently, debates have not subsided between supporters of adding eggs to everything. possible dishes and their opponents, who claim that eating such food is harmful to health. Those who have a negative attitude towards the use of such products in nutrition cite the following arguments:
Comparison of caloric content of eggs depending on the type of bird.
Picvario/Russianlook.ru
Have you ever wondered why chicken and quail eggs are sold everywhere, but, say, turkey or pheasant eggs are not found in the store? Or duck eggs: in Asia you can buy them without problems, but not here.
“There are only ten species of birds in the world from which you can get an egg,” Albert Stehle, a professor at the Department of Poultry Science at the Russian State Agrarian University-Moscow Agricultural Academy named after. K. A. Timiryazeva. — Chickens and quails lay eggs best, so their eggs are produced on an industrial scale. Geese and ducks are five to six times more likely than chickens to suffer from salmonellosis and lay eggs ten times less often, which is why their eggs are not produced for sale in our country.”
Quails have the most powerful immunity, so their eggs are least likely to be infected with anything. Plus, quail eggs contain more microelements and B vitamins than any other. “However, for almost 30 years, quails have been raised in the same way as chickens,” says Albert Stehle. “And the differences between these eggs began to disappear, because the quality of eggs depends 70-80% on the feed. However, in terms of microelements, a quail egg is still the champion - it contains 4.5 times more phosphorus, iron and potassium than a chicken egg.”
In terms of health benefits, quail eggs are not inferior to ostrich eggs. “It’s better to make an omelet from them,” says Tatyana Vostrikova, director of the Russian Ostrich company. “One egg can feed eight to ten people, because raw it weighs more than a kilogram.” You can order the largest edible egg for testing from April to October, when ostriches lay eggs.
But most often we still deal with chicken eggs, they are the ones we boil, fry, and therefore it is worth talking about them in more detail. The freshest are dietary eggs. They are easily recognized by the red “D” marking on the shell. An egg no older than one week is called a dietary egg. On the eighth day, the diet egg turns into a table egg (blue marking “C”, shelf life - up to 25 days).
The most delicious egg is made on the third or fourth day after laying - the protein and yolk enzymes in it are perfectly absorbed by our body. It is better to let the egg “ripen” these three to four days at room temperature.
Alas, dietary eggs have now almost disappeared from sale. You rarely see them in Moscow, Vasily Salo, marketing director of the Maryinsk poultry farm, told me: “Middle-market stores in the capital prefer to buy eggs in the regions, because it’s cheaper, and by the time the egg reaches Moscow, it will almost inevitably turn into table food.”
At your request, the freshness of eggs must be checked directly in the store - with an ovoscope. With its help, you can look through the shell at the size of the air chamber at the blunt end of the egg. The older the egg, the larger it is. A dietary egg should not have a chamber larger than 4 mm, a table egg - 9 mm. By the way, this is how eggs should be stored in the refrigerator - with the blunt end up. If you don’t have an ovoscope, just weigh the egg in your hand and look at the shell: heavy and matte - fresh, light and glossy - most likely spoiled.
The weight of the egg plays an important role. Eggs heavier than 75 g are the highest category (letter “B” on the shell), 65-75 g are selected (letter “O”). Eggs of the first category - 55-65 g (labeling "1"), second category - 55-45 g (labeling "2"), third category - 35-45 g (labeling "3"). For example, the stamp “C1” means “canteen of the first category”, “D2” - “dietary of the second category”.
“The bigger the egg, the better it is” is a myth. Large eggs contain more water and less nutrients; they are laid by older chickens. People are reluctant to buy eggs of the second and third categories, but in vain: such eggs are laid by the youngest hens, and they are very tasty. The most balanced in composition are eggs of the first category.
Now you can find enriched eggs in stores - with a high content of carotenoids, iodine, selenium, and omega-3 fatty acids. To obtain such eggs, chickens are fed with various nutritional supplements. It is impossible to determine by eye whether an egg really contains all these substances.
Enriched eggs are often marketed as "premium". In fact, premium eggs require strictly controlled conditions for keeping and feeding chickens, confirmed by a special certification system, which we do not yet have.
The inscriptions “bio” and “organic” on packaging are also most often an advertising gimmick. Abroad, this marking means that these are eggs from free-range chickens raised on natural feed rich in chlorophyll. There is a resolution of Rospotrebnadzor on the requirements for organic products, but there is no real certification, so the “eco” badge does not guarantee anything.
Denis Bykovskikh
The eggs are produced at a poultry farm near Moscow, which means they have the shortest path to the counter. There is information about expiration date and composition. The packaging says that everyone, including children, can safely drink raw eggs. In fact, it's better not to, especially if you are allergic to chicken eggs.
