by Donald E. Pszczola
Want to learn how to utilize egg products to create gels in refrigerated desserts? Or how eggs can help manage crystal formation in ice cream or other frozen foods? Or just want to learn more about the functionality and nutritional benefits of eggs in a specific formulation?
Well, you can get crackin’ by viewing this new website, http://www.functionalegg.org/, which the American Egg Board, Booth 5600, introduced at a press conference, held on Sunday, June 12, at 11:00 a.m.
The online educational resource, created by AEB for research and development professionals, contains newly produced videos on egg functionality. These science-based application videos are designed to answer questions and provide free educational information for viewers about the special and multiple functional properties of egg products.
Each video focuses on a single attribute of egg product functionality. The initial half dozen address the following topics: (1) Aeration in Baked Goods: Using Eggs to Create Foams; (2) Adding Volume to Baked Goods; (3) Building Baked Goods: Using Eggs to Provide Structure to Cakes, Muffins, and Quick Breads; (4) Egg Yolk Emulsions Produce Smooth and Creamy Textures; (5) Refrigerated Desserts: How Eggs Stabilize and Contribute Richness to Custards, Flans, and Puddings; and (6) Using Products to Manage Crystallization in Confections and Frozen Foods.
The primary narrator in these videos is Shelly McKee, Associate Professor in the Department of Poultry Science at Auburn University, Auburn, Ala. “I was quite excited to work with the American Egg Board on this project,” said McKee. “A visual presentation of this caliber is like watching a technical paper come to life, with all the practical application information a formulator could wish in a condensed form.”
The videos can be used for Continuing Education credits for individuals involved in R&D and marketing. Credits are earned by visiting the website, viewing an 8–10-min video and then correctly answering multiple-choice questions at the end of the video. A personal record log helps viewers to keep track of their progress through the series. The videos can also serve as a training tool for egg product suppliers.
“We have wanted to offer a Continuing Education opportunity to food industry professionals for some time,” said Elisa Maloberti, Director of Egg Product Marketing at AEB. “Timing was perfect, as an increasing number of product developers are seeking to simplify formulas and offer consumers ‘cleaner labels.’ Egg products can help with both.”
The videos also provide extra features such as a FAQ section and a conversion table for the various egg products available—liquid, solid (dried powders), or in-shell.
According to Maloberti, six additional videos will be produced during the second half of the year on topics such as how egg products contribute mouthfeel and texture and how they assist with the development of gluten-free products.
Egg products provide more than 20 functional properties for a diverse array of food products and categories. These properties can include adhesion/binding, aeration/foaming/structure, antimicrobial, browning/color, clarification, coagulation/thickening, coating/finishing gloss, crystallization control, freezability, emulsification/mouthfeel, and nutritional benefits. Eggs provide a high-quality protein source to several food and beverage categories, ranging from breakfast foods to better-for-you snacks to gluten-free pasta products.
But the best thing about all of this: You can get an egg-ucation for free.
