Egg value addition, egg powder: A sustainable alternative

Resolving egg glut, a seasonal problem to poultry farmers in Nigeria is the focus. 1,350 freshly laid eggs were purchased from Teaching and Research farm poultry unit, Osun State University, and were divided into 5 treatments (270 eggs each), with three replicates. T1, freshly laid eggs; T2, eggs produced into powdered egg; T3, eggs stored in refrigeration, T4, eggs stored on the shelf; T5, eggs immersed in soya oil and stored on the shelf, to determine cholesterol status, shelf life, palatability status, proximate and mineral composition in a completely randomized design. Results of shelf life when stored (T3 - T5), observed that yolk, albumen, and chalazae remain intact in first to third weeks. From third to fifth weeks, deterioration begins to set in, and broken shells were observed in T3, broken membranes of albumen and yolk, leading to watering eggs, and disappearance of chalazae. T2 had highest (P<0.05) nutrients composition except for moisture content. Cholesterol status of T2 (931.43mg/100g) was (P<0.05) higher than T1 (240.83mg/100g). Cumulatively eggs stored for fifth weeks, revealed that T2 had highest nutrients while T4 had lowest significant nutrients. Nutrients and cholesterol content decreased as week’s increases and palatability score of garnished fresh eggs (7.89) had highest (P<0.05) values followed by garnished powder eggs (6.53), fresh eggs (6.11), and plain powder egg (5.78) respectively. Powder egg is a good substitute for fresh eggs and should be introduced to all poultry farmers in Nigeria, to combat yearly egg glut, in Nigeria.