Eggs in Baked Goods
Eggs provide a myriad of functional benefits in baked goods, but handling these protein-packed ingredients is not easy in their natural form. BakerSA takes a look at eggs and some of the alternatives to whole eggs in shells and the players in the local market that provide these solutions.
Eggs have more than 20 functional properties in the baking process, ranging from the egg white adding essential protein and providing emulsifying and foaming properties, to the pigments in the egg yolk contributing to a rich golden colour.
Also improving appearance, egg wash is often brushed on the top of baked goods before baking to provide gloss and shine, and to create an adhesive for toppings such as seeds and grains.
In bread formulations, whole eggs keep the starch molecules moist and fresh, which helps to extend shelf life. In breads and rolls, eggs tenderise while firming the texture and providing crumb improvements.
In frozen doughs, eggs prevent sogginess due to their water binding properties.
Egg white proteins in particular are excellent aerators, as can be clearly seen in angel food cakes and meringues, while whole eggs add volume and height to all types of cakes, and volume and texture to cookies.
Even toppings and fillings need eggs, which are used to thicken frostings and fillings by coagulating and forming a firm, smooth base, while custard type fillings often derive their colour and flavour from the eggs, which also creates a stable gel that holds up during the baking process.
Despite many products that aim to reduce the usage of eggs in baking formulations, the functionality of these functional ingredients are indeed complex and difficult to replace.
But using whole eggs in shells is highly impractical for bakers in high volume production facilities. The shelled eggs are fragile and can easily be damaged, and storage can be space intensive. In addition, the eggs must be stored safely to prevent contamination and spoilage.
With an increased focus on food safety and the prevention of contamination, the safety of eggs has also come under the spotlight.
Fortunately, egg suppliers have provided several different processed forms of eggs to make it easier, more convenient and most importantly, safer, for bakers to handle eggs. Most of these egg products offer the same functions and nutrition as shelled eggs, but require less storage space and are more cost-effective, since breakage, shipping and handling are eliminated or reduced.
Depending on the desired function in a formulation, bakers can have their eggs supplied in liquid, frozen and dried forms. Taking the options even further, bakers could choose to have the eggs separated into eggs whites and egg yolks in all these various forms.
Obviously, liquid egg products are the most perishable form, and must be refrigerated at the right temperature. However, the liquid egg products can be pasteurized easily and provide a truly quick and easy solution for high volume production, since they can be readily integrated into manufacturing systems such as pumping and extrusion.
The liquid eggs can also be fortified, salted, enhanced and blended.
Frozen liquid eggs are also very convenient, since the required quantities can be thawed for use and the rest stored frozen at between -15°C and -17°C for up to 12 months.
Dried egg products – Egg ingredients are typically spray dried, although it could also be freeze dried. Since most of the moisture is removed, the result is a highly concentrated egg product that can be stored in its multi wall bag for up to a year. Other ingredients, such as anti-caking agents, may be added to ensure a free-flowing product.
These eggs products provide convenience since their microbiological safety is ensured, and there are no wastages such as shells and membranes.
In terms of safety, pasteurization of egg products destroys Salmonella and other bacteria. The pasteurization of liquid, frozen and dried egg products are fairly simple, but pasteurizing shelled eggs required the development of a revolutionary pasteurization system.
This system involves heating the eggs in a controlled manner to ensure rapid achievement of the target internal temperature in all eggs, without the risk of overheating. The eggs have to be kept at the right temperature during the process to destroy the micro-organisms, without significant changes in the eggs’ composition, taste or functionality.
Another advantage of the pasteurization process for eggs in shell is the reduction of spoilage bacteria present in and on the egg leading to an increase in shelf life.
While there are no significant changes in albumen and yolk ph due to the pasteurization process, a reduction in albumen whip capacity of 40% can be noticed in the pasteurized egg in shell group, but foam stability is not greatly reduced.
In South Africa, egg solutions are available from Nulaid Eggs, Sunspray Food Ingredients, Eggs-R-Easy and Eggbert Eggs.
Sunspray – leaders in spray drying technology. Our food ingredients find application in many food products in the baking and snack industry and we provide solutions.
Diversified ingredients are constantly being enhanced to make our customers product development simple and functional.
We aim to deliver locally produced spray dried ingredients and remove uncertainties in our customers’ supply chain.
The Sunspray range of spray dried powders includes Egg powders – albumen, whole egg and yolk.
Customized liquid egg solutions for bakers and sauce manufacturers ensure your product functionality is maximized and the waste factor reduced.
Frozen Scrambled egg for catering purposes is a food safe option too. Microbiologically safe ingredients are guaranteed.
Frozen salted and whole egg products find application sauces and mayonnaise.
All Sunspray food ingredients are Halaal certified and Kosher certification is available on request.
Our sites are FSSC22000 certified to assure food safety standards
Sunspray is also a member of SEDEX (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange)
Nulaid Eggs – We supply customers across all market segments with quality commercial table eggs, Free range eggs, pasteurized shell eggs and pasteurized liquid egg products.
Nulaid also operates five egg grading plants and two liquid egg processing plants where we produce pasteurized whole egg, pasteurized albumen and pasteurized yolk.
The eggs for these pack stations and egg processing plants are produced on our own farms as well as contracted farms.
Our egg grading plants are situated in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Bloemfontein and Muldersdrift. From these pack stations we supply all sizes of eggs, from pullets to jumbos. We deliver in various pack sizes as per our customer requirements across all market segments and in all the provinces.
Our graded product range consists of all sizes of eggs from medium to jumbo and we currently grade eggs into the following pack sizes: 2×6 eggs, 18 eggs, 24 eggs, 30 eggs, 48 eggs and 60 eggs.
One of our main strengths is that our pack stations are audited by SAFSIS on a yearly basis and we make sure that we comply with the criteria of these audits. Passing these audits mean that our customers are assured of the best products, and that they are graded and packed in the correct manner.
The two liquid plants are situated near Cape Town and Johannesburg from where we distribute directly to our industrial customers that use the liquid egg in further processing. In these plants quality and food safety audits are undertaken as well to ensure safe and quality products are produced.
Eggs- R- Easy – From humble beginnings, Eggs-R-Easy South Africa has grown into a leading producer and supplier of egg products in South Africa with our processing facility situated in Krugersdorp, Gauteng.
Our product range includes –
Commercial Pasteurized 10% Salted Whole Egg Pulp, Commercial Pasteurized 12% Salted Egg Yolk, Commercial Pasteurized 10% Sugared Yolk, Commercial Pasteurized Yolk, Commercial Pasteurized Whole Egg Pulp, Free Range pasteurized 10% Salted Whole Egg, Free Range pasteurized 12% Salted Whole Egg, Free Range pasteurized 10% Sugared Yolk, Free Range pasteurized Whole Egg Pulp and Custom Made Products on Request.
Eggbert Eggs (Pty) Ltd is a producer, packer and distributor of commercial and free-range eggs in South Africa.
Eggbert Eggs is a trusted supplier of quality eggs, offering our partners and customers excellent service alongside our delicious eggs. Eggbert Eggs supplies eggs to customers throughout South Africa, across Gauteng, Kwazulu-Natal and beyond.
Free-Range eggs are produced by hens which are not caged and have daily access to an outdoor range area accessible through openings in the side of the barn.
At Eggbert Eggs our free-range eggs are produced on production units that fully comply with the Code of Practise as put forward by the South African Poultry Association. This code is in line with some of the most stringent international rules for free range production.
We have incorporated a full traceability system to ensure that only the eggs produced on the free-range production unit ends up in free-range packaging for the market.
