Eggs are nutrient-dense food with high biological value. They are a rich source of protein, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and amino acids. The colour of egg yolks is an important parameter of egg quality. It is affected by the composition of poultry feed, mostly the pigment content, egg farming method and genetic effects. In the experimental part the colour of egg yolks was evaluated using a DSM colour fan and Minolta chromometer, and the spectrophotometric determination of β-carotene content with the AOAC method. The results showed that there are differences in egg yolks colour according to the egg farming method. The most noticeable differences were detected between organic and caged eggs. Organic egg yolks were the brightest and contained the least carotenoids, while cage eggs yolks were the darkest, with the highest content of carotenoids. The colour of egg yolks was also evaluated with sensory analysis. The sensory panel consisted of students of Food Science and Nutrition who ranked the samples according to the intensity and likeness of the yolk colour. The students gave preference to orange-yellow colour of egg yolk. They also completed a questionnaire about consumption and purchase of eggs. The results showed that students do not consume eggs often. They buy eggs in the markets or get them from relatives or acquaintances. Most of the students consume free-range or barn eggs. The most important criterion for the purchase is egg farming method.
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