Irradiation for Improving Quality and Safety of Omega-3 Fatty Acid

Enriched Eggs
Omega-3 Enriched Eggs
Omega-3 eggs are eggs fortified with flax goodness through flax fed to laying hens. These eggs
contain the essential omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic (ALA), plus two other omega-3 fatty
acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA).
Omega-3 enriched eggs provide about 12 times more omega-3 fatty acids than regular eggs,
based on an average omega-3 content of 0.5 grams in omega-3 enriched eggs versus 0.04 grams
in regular eggs¹.
What is especially important for vegetarian diets, is the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) +
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content of these eggs. When hens are fed flax seed, the richest
plant source of alpha-linolenic fatty acid (ALA) in the North American diet, they break down
some of the ALA into the two desirable fatty acids, making their eggs excellent sources of both
EPA and DHA. Morris1, in a paper written for egg producer.
Eggs are an exceptionally nutritious, high-quality protein food, but one concern lies in the fact
that Chicken eggs have been touted as high in cholesterol, which contributes to hardening and
narrowing of the arteries, heart attack, stroke, blocked blood vessels in the legs and kidneys, and
may even contribute to dementia. But new studies have been done disproving that eggs and their

yolks are bad for us, and

now with Omega-3 enriched eggs, the yolk can actually help lower cholesterol and offer us many
more health benefits.
What Are Omega-3 Eggs?
Omega-3 eggs are produced by hens fed a special vegetarian diet that includes plant material,
grains, flaxseed and sometimes, even seaweed. While humans cannot convert the Omega-3
found in Flaxseed into usable forms, chickens can.
Recommended Adequate Intakes of omega-3 fatty acids
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) published recommended intakes of essential fatty acids in
September 2002, acknowledging the essential nature of ALA in the human diet and the
contribution of all omega-3 fatty acids to human health. The IOM is a nonprofit organization that
operates under the umbrella of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. It has set recommended
intakes for calcium, iron, and B vitamins, along with other vitamins and minerals, and, in this
recent report, for macronutrients like protein, carbohydrate, and fat. The IOM’s recommended
intakes were developed in cooperation with Health Canada and will replace the Canadian
Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNIs).
In its 2002 report, the IOM recommended certain intakes (called Adequate Intakes) of ALA for
infants, children and adolescents, and adults, the first time a North American agency has made a
recommendation for this essential omega-3 fatty acid.
Note that an Adequate Intake was set only for ALA. Adequate Intakes were not set for EPA and
DHA. The reason for this is that, strictly speaking, ALA is the only true “essential” omega-3
fatty acid in our diet. Remember, an essential nutrient (like ALA) is one that must be obtained
from foods because our bodies cannot make it. Because EPA and DHA can be made from ALA,
they are not considered “essential” nutrients in the strictest sense. [When EPA and DHA are
called “essential fatty acids” in the medical literature, the authors usually mean that EPA and
DHA are “important” or “vital.”] Accordingly, the IOM set recommended intakes for ALA and
indicated that other omega-3 fatty acids in our diet (like EPA and DHA) can contribute to the
recommended ALA intake.
Omega-3- enriched eggs help meet Adequate Intakes for ALA:
One omega-3- enriched egg provides on average about 0.34 grams of ALA and 0.13 grams of
EPA + DHA. By itself, an omega-3- enriched egg provides a significant portion of the Adequate
Intakes of ALA for all age groups. For young children under the age of 3 years, for example, one
omega-3- enriched egg provides half (49%) of the Adequate Intake. For boys and men, one
omega-3- enriched egg provides roughly one-quarter (21-28%) of the recommended Adequate
Intake. For girls and women, an omega-3- enriched egg provides about one-third (31-34%) of
their Adequate Intake of ALA.
If eaten on a regular basis, an omega-3-enriched egg makes a substantial contribution to omega-3
fatty acid intakes. Because of their increased omega-3 fatty acid content, omega-3 enriched eggs
contain more polyunsaturated fatty acids than regular eggs. While the omega-3 content may vary
substantially between different brands, the caloric value and protein and fat content of omega-3
enriched eggs are similar to that of regular eggs. Some omega-3 enriched eggs contain slightly
less cholesterol than regular eggs. Eggs labelled "omega-3" do contain these fats, which many
people associate with good health. But depending on which brand you buy, they might not have
the type of omega-3 fat that's linked to brain and heart health. And the actual amount of omega-3
fat might be considerably less than you think.
Eggs can be fortified with two different omega-3 fatty acids: DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and
ALA (alpha linolenic acid). DHA is found in oily fish like salmon, trout and sardines. It's crucial
for the proper development and maintenance of brain cells. Higher intakes of DHA and EPA
(eicosapentaenoic acid), the other omega-3 fatty acid in oily fish, are also thought to guard
against heart disease.
ALA is plentiful in flaxseed, flax oil, chia seeds, hemp oil, walnuts and walnut oil. It's also found
in canola oil and soybeans. Some studies suggest that higher intakes of ALA are protective
against heart disease. However, the evidence for ALA's heart benefits is less convincing since it
hasn't been studied as extensively as DHA.
Omega-3 eggs are produced by hens fed a diet containing flaxseed. When the hens digest the
flax, some of the ALA gets broken down into DHA and both fatty acids transfer to the yolk. One
omega-3 egg typically contains 340 milligrams of ALA and 75 to 100 milligrams of DHA.
Irradiation:
It has been known for some time that egg products may contain members of
the Salmonella group capable of causing food poisoning, and the position has been rendered
more serious by the recent discovery of S. paratyphi B in some of the samples of egg products
imported into the United Kingdom. Attempts to destroy salmonellae in liquid egg by
pasteurization before freezing or drying have met with considerable success but the process
requires careful control. In any case, at the present time most of the frozen whole egg consumed
in the United Kingdom has not been pasteurized. The tins in which the frozen product is
distributed hold up to 20 kg, and are therefore of a size suitable for treatment with γ-radiation.
After treatment of small samples of frozen whole egg with 2 MeV cathode rays it was concluded
that a dose of about 0·3–0·5 Mrad would destroy the numbers of salmonellae normally
encountered in the product without impairing the baking qualities of the material. Whole tins,
each containing 10 kg of infected material, were therefore irradiated in the frozen state with
Co60 γ-rays. Two tins were treated at each of three dose levels of 0·3, 0·4 and 0·5 Mrad. No
salmonellae were detected in duplicate samples of 25 g of material taken from each of the tins
after irradiation. If the effectiveness of the treatment is confirmed, the process has obvious
attractions since it dispenses with the need to thaw or otherwise to handle the product. The paper
also contains a general discussion on the irradiation of eggs and egg products.
The announcement marks the FDA s sixth major decision since 1985 to allow portions of the
American food supply to be exposed to high levels of radiation -- the equivalent of tens of
millions of chest x-rays for the stated purpose of killing harmful microorganisms and extending
the shelf life of food. As in many of their previous rulings, FDA officials have -- in the pages of
official U.S. government documents -- misrepresented scientific research to support their opinion
that irradiated food is safe to eat.
The request to irradiate eggs was filed by Edward Josephson, a 40-year veteran of the irradiation
movement. Josephson, now 84, oversaw the U.S. Army s food irradiation lab in Natick,
Massachusetts, for more than 10 years during the 1960s and 1970s. It was during Josephson s
watch that, in 1968, the FDA rescinded the Army s permission to serve irradiated bacon to
military personnel after it was revealed that lab animals fed irradiated food suffered premature
death, a rare form of cancer, tumors, reproductive problems and low weight gain. A high-ranking
FDA officials wrote at the time -- in an article that few eyes have seen since -- that "it is clearly
apparent that the FDA cannot conclude that the irradiation of bacon has shown to be a safe
process.
Eggs are just as vulnerable to radiation as other classes of food, if not more so. Research
has shown that:
Irradiated eggs are deficient in vitamin A and niacin. FDA officials admit that eggs lose 24
percent of their vitamin A when exposed to just one-third the level of radiation the agency
approved today.
Irradiation severely disrupts the interaction between albumin (a protein found in egg whites that
is essential for proper blood circulation, especially in infants) and trypsin (a pancreatic enzyme
that plays a key role in healing, digestion and cancer prevention).
The high fat content of eggs makes them highly susceptible to lipid peroxidation, a dangerous
type of chemical reaction that spawns free radicals, can initiate chain reactions in the body,
destroy cell membranes, and hamper the body s ability to prevent cancer, diabetes, heart disease
and muscular degeneration.
Irradiated eggs are aesthetically displeasing. Their yolks are more watery, and have less colour
and brightness than normal eggs. They are also more difficult to cook with, requiring more time
to whip and yielding angel-food cakes with half the volume.
Radiation can cause Salmonella and other bacteria to mutate -- sometimes into hardier strains. A
1990 study co-authored by veteran U.S. Department of Agriculture researcher Donald Thayer
concluded that Salmonella becomes more resistant when exposed to radiation. In their
formal Federal Register filing published today, however, FDA officials used the Thayer study to
support the proposal. In doing so, FDA officials misrepresented Thayer s findings. The FDA
stated the six strains of Salmonella that Thayer studied were equally susceptible to radiation,
when Thayer actually discovered that one strain was "significantly" more resistant than the other
five.
The modern desire of the health conscious people is functional food. Eggs are considered as
complete food with most of the nutrients required for well beings. But the worries are related to
the cholesterol content found in the egg. In addition, to the nutrients already available in the egg
if we can alter or incorporate certain health beneficiary nutrients then these eggs will be the
choice of food for health conscious peoples and it can also reduces the chances of occurrence of
certain diseases. By the modification or enrichment in eggs we can obtain the eggs like low
cholesterol eggs, omega-3 enriched eggs, vitamin enriched eggs, mineral enriched eggs, pigment
enriched eggs and many more types of the modified or enriched eggs can easily be obtained for
the specific proposes.
If we want to develop an industry with modified or enriched eggs it is utmost important to
consider the safety and quality of such products. In additional enriched or modified eggs should
be guaranteed and consistent product quality so that consumers should be sure of receiving in
these eggs. The indications and information’s in this regards must be stated on the packaging.
The future of such eggs may be with the modified or enriched eggs as discussed above in
addition to Vitamin-C enriched eggs, Fiber enriched eggs, choline enriched egg etc.

Advantages of omega-3 fatty acid Advantages of omega-3 fatty acid enriched

eggs:
 On supplementation of omega-3 fatty acid may decrease the risk of heart disease by 50-
70%
 It is also reported that omega-3 fatty acid is helpful in increasing development of brain
tissue in pregnant women and children.
 It is also helpful in improvement of oxygen supply to the tissues.
 It helps in increase of brain function.
 Give relief in the treatment of Rheumatoid arthritis.
 It improves skin and relieves arthritis.
 Helpful in curing from inflammatory disorders and improve immune responses.
Reference:
 Flax Council of Canada. 2003. The novel egg: Opportunities for flax in omega-3
egg production. Winnipeg: Flax Council of Canada.
 V.P. Singh, Vikas Pathak and K. Verma Akhilesh, 2012. Modified or Enriched Eggs: A
Smart Approach in Egg Industry: A Review. American Journal of Food Technology, 7:
266-277.
 J.Brooks, R.S.Hannan and Betty.C. 1959. Irradiation of eggs and egg products.
Int.J.Applied.Radi.Isotopes. p149-154.
 https://www.citizen.org/irradiation-eggs-details
 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16463979
 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0315546390702489