Background

The role of the hen egg in the human nutrition is decisively essential. Eggs are nutritious and healthy, the biological value of both albumen and yolk is high, and the eggshell provides an excellent barrier against both chemical and biological attacks. Hen eggs have been an important nutrient source for mankind for thousands of years. Until today the total potentiality of the eggs has not been discovered.

Egg white, also called albumen, is a viscous 10% solution of proteins and peptides and minerals in water. These proteins are highly nutritive for humans by their amino acids composition, which has been noted several decades ago. In addition, the egg albumen has unique functional properties in food systems, such as stabile foam production. Later it has been noticed that the components of the albumen possess micro-biocidal and other new functional properties.

Egg yolk is the more fatty part of the hen egg. The water content is about 50%, and from the remainder 1/3 is protein and 2/3 fat and fat-soluble constituents. The protein part is differing from the albumen, still research work is going on to study its functionality both in foods and other biological systems. The main adverse effect of hen eggs as food has been laid on its content of cholesterol. According to the present knowledge the intake of saturated fat rather than intake of cholesterol is increasing the cholesterol bodies content in bloodstream.

Hen eggs are considered a chemical storehouse composed of various chemical compounds that form the basis of life. Egg yolk phospholipids, bioactive protein components, vitamins and carbohydrate moieties are reported to be important factors of many biologically important reactions in life. Many of the egg albumen proteins are glycoderivatives. The sugar chains of these glycoproteins seem to have several important physiological functions in living cells. Moreover, even the eggshell membranes and other by-products are under continuous investigation due to their biological importance.

Recently, egg researchers all over the worlt have noticed the possibility to combine traditional egg research with modern biotechnology and separation techniques. For example, the egg components can be fractionated and used for different food and non-food purposes. Egg albumen and egg yolk are studied both to find new innovative ways to use their components and to find new ways to modify their composition.

According to a recent report of American College of Nutrition, there is a tendency in the United States to loosen the dietary restrictions concerning the consumption of eggs. because in the eggs there are many nutritious components healthy for humans, and only one major disadvantageous one. In the report a question is raised also about prospects to use eggs or their components as functional food ingredients. These ideas were also the basis for preparing this COST Action.

The international network formed with this COST Action is vital for the egg research in Europe, because when the new ways to use the eggs are developed the problem of overproduction is solved without cutting down the production. The production of hen eggs is an important part of the agriculture production in the European Union Member States as well as in the Non-EU member states.