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The objective of this study was to assess the incorporation of polyunsaturated omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids in the eggs of Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) fed with soybean, flaxseed and shark liver oils, as well as to assess their effects on the chemical composition and lipid quality of the yolks.

The total of 252 units of quails were distributed in a completely randomized design with seven treatments and six replications, totaling 42 experimental design units. The sources of oils and their inclusions in the experimental diet were 2% of soybean oil (S), 2% of flaxseed oil (L) and 2% shark liver oil (T), obtained from the species Carcharhinus acronotus, and the mixtures of 1% S + 1% L (SL); 1% S + 1% T (ST); 1% L + 1% T (LT) and 0.67% S + 0.67% L + 0.67% T (SLT).

The proximate composition of the egg yolk was not changed to the supplementation of lipid sources added in quail diet. The total replacement of soybean oil by shark liver oil reduced the cholesterol content in the yolk by 19% (T = 282.97 mg cholesterol/100 g egg) and the addition of flaxseed oil produced eggs with greater amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (LS = 18.32%). The treatments with flaxseed oil and its mixtures (soybean oil + flaxseed oil and flaxseed oil + shark liver oil) effectively contributed to reducing the ω-6:ω-3 ratio and enriching the quail eggs with PUFAs, especially linolenic acid (18: 3n3c) and EPA (20: 5n3c).

Thus, manipulation in the diet of quails enriched the content of essential PUFAs and reduced the cholesterol content in the yolk. The flaxseed oil was the lipid source that influenced to improve the quality of the egg yolk. These results have practical applicability for the quail egg industry.

The purpose of this study is to provide information on how citizens in nine countries across Europe perceive egg product quality and the importance of a product's sustainability attributes (animal welfare, country of origin and production method) in egg purchases.

The data were gathered in 2021 via an online survey in nine European countries (Finland, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Denmark). A total of 3,601 responses were collected. As methods of analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), independent samples t-test, paired samples t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were conducted when investigating the quality dimensions of egg products and the differences amongst the sociodemographic groups.

Citizens in European countries considered animal welfare aspects, production method and country of origin important when purchasing egg products. Citizens' perceived quality of egg products was related to two dimensions (i.e. product properties and responsible production), and there were differences in perceptions by sociodemographic groups (i.e. age, gender, education and country of residence). Responsible production was most valued by younger women with higher education. Also in the Netherlands and Romania, citizens had stronger preferences for product properties compared to responsible production, whilst in Germany, responsible production was appreciated more than product properties.

The study provides new information on citizens' perceived egg product quality and the role of a product's sustainability attributes in egg purchases. Furthermore, the results bring novel insights on the differences in perceptions amongst citizens living in nine European countries.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate changes in selected quality traits of chicken table eggs during their storage under standard storage conditions and in refrigeration.

The sample consisted of 570 eggs from Hy-Line hens. The eggs were placed on trays of 30 pieces each, and then group C (control) eggs were stored at 14°C temperature and 70 per cent humidity and group F (experimental) eggs were refrigerated at 5°C and 30 per cent humidity. Changes in egg mass and air cell depth were measured on the laying day and, then, after every 7 days for 5 weeks for group C and for up to 24 weeks for group F. Initially for every week and then after every four weeks, the quality of 30 eggs from each group was evaluated. The following traits were analysed: whole egg (mass, specific gravity), shell (conductivity, strength, mass, thickness, and density) and content (proportions, pH, albumen quality and yolk colour).

It was shown that due to a significant limitation of qualitative changes (lower water loss, higher specific mass, lower shell conductivity, better albumen quality, lower pH content, more favourable proportions of morphological elements) in eggs stored in refrigeration despite prolonged time, reduced temperature should be considered as a factor allowing for a significant prolongation of egg shelf life during storage.

The unusually elongated time of the experiment allows for a practical implementation of the results, especially in the case of eggs intended for processing.

All methods of egg preservation aim to prevent the entry and growth of spoilage or pathogenic micro‐organisms which would make the egg unpalatable or dangerous to health. Although the contents of chickens' eggs are sterile on laying, the shell surface may be contaminated with many micro‐organisms — on average there may be 130,000 bacteria on the shell of an egg. Most of these organisms, which come from the nest litter or the bird's excreta, will spoil the egg but are not harmful to health, for example Pseudomonas fluorescens which causes ‘green rot’ and off‐odours if allowed to penetrate the egg and grow. Some of the contaminating organisms may be pathogenic, food‐poisoning bacteria such as Salmonella species, which are sometimes present in chicken droppings, but pathogens are very rare in chickens' eggs. Similar salmonellae have been implicated in numerous food‐poisoning outbreaks associated with duck eggs, as the aquatic environment of the duck encourages their growth and on no account should duck eggs be preserved.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a new salad cream formulation from a mixture of tofu and coconut oil for replacement of egg yolk and soy oil, respectively.

A salad cream formulation mainly composing of edible oil, egg and vinegar was formulated. Ratios of egg yolk and soy oil were replaced by tofu and coconut oil, respectively. The formulated salad creams were determined for pH, color, viscosity, protein and fat. Sensory acceptances of formulated products was evaluated by using a seven-point hedonic scale test and untrained panelists (n=30). The formulated salad creams were stored in a refrigerator for 14 days and determined for pH, color and viscosity.

The results showed that the formulated salad creams using the mixture of 50 percent tofu and 50 percent egg yolk (RE) by weight of egg yolk ratio in control presented 4.25+0.01 of pH which was comparable to control. The highest scores in the sensory test were obtained in the formula using 37 percent coconut oil by weight of salad cream. The formulated salad creams using tofu and coconut oil (REC) presented 4.42+0.03 of pH, 4.25+0.05 cm. of viscosity, and 87.36+0.44 (L), −1.13+0.04 (a), 16.32+0.22 (b) of color values. Protein and fat contents were 4.79 and 27.59 percent (w/w) in the REC, respectively. After storage under refrigerated, pH, color and viscosity of the modified product were less changed.

Replacement of egg yolk and soy oil with tofu and coconut oil in salad creams was feasible. The REC was less changed in its quality both fresh and after storage. It was accepted in sensory evaluation. The REC could prepare at home and being a food choice for consumers.

At a meeting of the Nutrition Panel of the Food Group of the Society of Chemical Industry, Dr. Joseph Needham, of the Biochemical Laboratory, University of Cambridge, speaking on “ The Biological Nature of the Egg,” pointed out what complex structures were the eggs of birds and other vertebrates. In fact the embryo, which is eventually to develop into the new animal, only occupies a very small space within the total egg. The remainder serves, in one way or another, to keep the organism alive until it is hatched. It is interesting to note that this is not the case in lower animals. The octopus in its egg is not supplied by its mother with enough copper but must obtain more for itself from the surrounding sea. Newts and frogs in their eggs also must to some extent look after themselves. Birds' eggs, however, represent a type of perfectly “closed box” structure which requires many ingenious devices in order to survive. One of these, through which the bird saves itself from being poisoned by its own by‐products, is the fact that the developing embryo does not excrete nitrogen as urea but in the form of uric acid which is more easily deposited as crystals.—Dr. Ethel M. Cruickshank, of the Department of Agriculture, Cambridge, who spoke on the “ Chemical Composition of the Egg,” pointed out that the hen was a physiological machine for turning raw materials into human foodstuffs. The amount of such human food which the hen could produce in a day depended on a number of factors, but to a large extent it was true to say that the bigger the hen the larger the egg. The number of eggs which a hen would lay in a year was a different matter, but an interesting point was the fact that high production had little or no detrimental effect on the quality of the eggs. In considering the composition of the egg one must divide it into three parts. The shell was principally made up of calcium carbonate, although small amounts of magnesium, phosphorus and organic matter were present. The white was composed of four different kinds of protein and could be divided into layers of thick and thin white. The proportion of thick to thin white influenced the culinary value of the egg. Together, the four proteins in the white contained the essential amino acids which made “ first class ” protein. Egg white contained minerals and also supplied valuable amounts of vitamin B. The yolk contained two proteins which were also shown to be of “ first class ” quality. Besides protein the yolk contained 30 to 32 per cent. of fat. Numerous minerals were present, including relatively rich amounts of easily assimilable iron. Vitamins A, D, B1 and B2 were also present. The anti‐rachitic vitamin D was of great significance in the diet. Dr. Cruickshank also discussed the factors in the diet of the hen which might give the yolk an unpleasant taste or a strange colour. Although the amount of fat, and hence the total food value of the egg, could only be influenced to a slight extent by the diet of the hen, the nature and flavour of the egg could be very strikingly altered by feeding mashes containing, for example, hemp seed or linseed oil. As regards vitamins, it was essential that plenty of these should be present in the diet of the hen in order that her egg might be of high nutritive value. As regards minerals, it was very well known that by feeding a hen a diet which was short of calcium a thin shell was obtained. However, the calcium content of the yolk and white were not affected. The amount of iodine in eggs was affected by the amount in the hens' food, although iron and copper appeared to be independent of the amount present in the diet.—Dr. S. K. Kon, of the National Institute for Research in Dairying, Reading, spoke on the nutritive importance of eggs in the diet. He stressed that eggs share with milk the ability to cover nutritive requirements during the period of rapid development. The vitamins, minerals and “ first class ” protein in eggs made them one of the protective foods. In particular, eggs supplemented very well the proteins present in cereals. Dr. Kon showed in detail how eggs contribute to the various factors of a good diet.—Dr. R. B. Haines, of the Low Temperature Research Station, Cambridge, spoke on the preservation of eggs. He showed how hens' eggs were in a state of rapid change. The aim of storage was to retard or stop this change and prevent the attack of outside agencies such as micro‐organisms. Although storage only affected the nutritive value of eggs to a very minor degree, any loss of palatability and cooking quality was a clear indication that certain slight chemical changes had taken place. Dr. Haines mentioned three methods for the large‐scale storage of eggs. The first was cold storage, the second, storage with the partial addition of CO2, and the third, full gas storage. For other purposes, drying or freezing could be used. Problems connected with the storage of eggs led to the consideration of questions of production and handling. For example, “ thick white ” was apparently due to the individual hen. Again, spoilage of eggs by the invasion of bacteria was influenced by the structure of the egg‐shell, which might vary greatly in successive eggs from the same hen or by the “ washing ” treatment which the eggs received. Among many other topics upon which Dr. Haines touched were “ swollen ” and “ flabby ” yolks due to loss of moisture, “ watery whites,” “ sunken ” and “ sided ” yolks due to chemical changes, and eggs with “ whiskers,” due to the growth of fungus on the shell.—Miss Mary Andross, of the West of Scotland College of Domestic Science, Glasgow, gave the final paper on the subject of “ The Cooking of Eggs.” Research in domestic science concerned itself with what effect such factors as temperature, time, rate of cooking, acidity, or the addition of salts, might have on the nutritive properties of eggs which were boiled, poached, fried, scrambled or made into omelets, custards, mayonaise, meringues, angel cakes, or sponge cakes. Another important factor which was the subject of scientific investigation was the effect of the age of the egg in relation to its cooking qualities. Miss Andross also discussed the waste of food value which might take place in different methods of cooking, and she concluded by discussing the effects which different treatments might have on the digestibility of the food.

Describes a study to measure the quality of service provided by food‐poisoning surveillance agencies in England and Wales in terms of the requirements of a representative consumer ‐ the egg producing industry ‐ adopting “egg associated” outbreak investigation reports as the reference output. Defines and makes use of four primary performance indicators: accessibility of information; completeness of evidence supplied in food‐poisoning outbreak investigation reports as to the sources of infection in “egg‐associated” outbreaks; timeliness of information published; and utility of information and advice aimed at preventing or controlling food poisoning. Finds that quality expectations in each parameter measured are not met. Examines reasons why surveillance agencies have not delivered the quality demanded. Makes use of detailed case studies to illustrate inadequacies of current practice. Attributes failure to deliver “accessibility” to a lack of recognition on the status or nature of “consumers”, combined with a self‐maintenance motivation of the part of the surveillance agencies. Finds that failures to deliver “completeness” and “utility” may result from the same defects which give rise to the lack of “accessibility” in that, failing to recognize the consumers of a public service for what they are, the agencies feel no need to provide them with the data they require. The research indicates that self‐maintenance by scientific epidemiologists may introduce biases which when combined with a politically inspired need to transfer responsibility for food‐poisoning outbreaks, skew the conduct of investigations and their conclusions. Contends that this is compounded by serious and multiple inadequacies in the conduct of investigations, arising at least in part from the lack of training and relative inexperience of investigators, the whole conditioned by interdisciplinary rivalry between the professional groups staffing the different agencies. Finds that in addition failures to exploit or develop epidemiological technologies has affected the ability of investigators to resolve the uncertainties identified. Makes recommendations directed at improving the performance of the surveillance agencies which, if adopted will substantially enhance food poisoning control efforts.

If additional evidence were needed of the connection between food supply and the spread of infectious disease, it would be found in a report recently presented to the Finsbury Borough Council by its Medical Officer of Health, Dr. GEORGE NEWMAN. It appears that in the early part of May a number of cases of scarlet fever were notified to Dr. NEWMAN, and upon inquiry being made it was ascertained that nearly the whole of these cases had partaken of milk from a particular dairy. A most pains‐taking investigation was at once instituted, and the source of the supply was traced to a farm in the Midlands, where two or three persons were found recovering from scarlet fever. The wholesale man in London, to whom the milk was consigned, at first denied that any of this particular supply had been sent to shops in the Finsbury district, but it was eventually discovered that one, or possibly two, churns had been delivered one morning, with the result that a number of persons contracted the disease. One of the most interesting points in Dr. NEWMAN'S report is that three of these cases, occurring in one family, received milk from a person who was not a customer of the wholesale dealer mentioned above. It transpired on the examination of this last retailer's servants that on the particular morning on which the infected churn of milk had been sent into Finsbury, one of them, running short, had borrowed a quart from another milkman, and had immediately delivered it at the house in which these three cases subsequently developed. The quantity he happened to borrow was a portion of the contents of the infected churn.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the appropriateness of the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to measure consumers’ acceptance and preference for eggs enriched with omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids as a health claim and to compare its results with the traditional nine-point hedonic scale.

The AHP was used as a multi-criteria decision analysis. Data were obtained from a face-to-face questionnaire completed by 122 consumers in a controlled environment in Cataluña (Spain).

Results showed the capacity of the AHP to analyse consumers’ acceptance and preferences. An agreement between the AHP and the nine-point scale was found showing that n-3 enriched eggs had lower flavour acceptance, conventional eggs had higher yolk colour acceptance, and conventional and the free-range eggs had similar and higher odour acceptance than the other egg types. The most important attributes that determine preferences for egg purchase were the type and the egg price followed by the origin and the egg size.

The AHP approach seems to be a reliable tool to evaluate consumers’ hedonic preferences. However, further testing on other food products with larger sample size is needed.

The AHP methodology has been widely used in many fields in the last decades, but to the knowledge, not in the sensory field. In the Spanish market, studies that analyse consumers’ preferences and acceptance of eggs are scarce, and new insights are needed particularly regarding n-3 enriched eggs.

Many changes have been made in methods for checking the adulteration and misdescription of food in the 54 years of the life of the BRITISH FOOD JOURNAL. In January 1899, when the first issue appeared, it was stated that the existing laws were lamentably inadequate and faulty, and that their application must be supplemented by the power of the Press. The prime movers in the establishment of the Journal were a group of public analysts, including particularly Colonel C. E. Cassal, Mr. J. Kear Colwell and Mr. Cecil H. Cribb, who between them held appointments under the Vestries of the parishes of St. George's (Hanover Square), Kensington, Battersea, Clerkenwell, Holborn, St. Giles, Fulham, the Strand District and some Counties in the Provinces. The need for stimulating the activity of some local authorities was clear. Thus, in the year 1898, the total number of samples submitted to the County Analyst for Herefordshire was 8: 1 of milk, 4 of butter, 1 of lard, 1 of beer and 1 of whisky. The Public Analyst, the late Mr. E. W. Voelcker, F.I.C., criticised the inactivity of the County officers. His letter was considered by the Standing Joint Committee, which stoutly defended the Chief Constable and stated that there did not appear to be the slightest ground for the Analyst's strictures. (The population of Herefordshire was then nearly 116,000.) It is not recorded whether or not the Chief Constable of Herefordshire became a regular reader of the BRITISH FOOD JOURNAL in 1899.