Chicken eggs are a popular food product worldwide. When a buyer stops at a storefront with a given product, he is primarily interested in the expiration date, price, and few pay attention to size marking. But this is an important nuance, knowing which you can save money well and still get high-quality goods. We suggest you familiarize yourself with the features of the product selection below.
Classification of eggs
According to the GOSTs adopted in the country, all categories of eggs that fall on store shelves are required to be labeled. There are two types of labeling: by expiration date and by size.
By categories
Depending on the size of the product, they are divided into five categories, three of which are the main ones and are found most often (selective, first and second).
Higher (B)
This group includes eggs whose mass is more than 75 grams. A dozen of them will weigh at least 750 g. Without a shell, one product will have a weight of at least 68 g. Such a product is a rarity, as it comes from elite layers, fed in a special way, which is quite a costly affair.
Selective (O)
A product whose weight is in the range of 65-74.9 grams fell into this category. Without a shell, it will weigh 59–68 g, and a dozen unrefined ones — 670–749.9 g. They account for 36–41 g of protein, and 23–26 g of yolk.
Important! Eggs of the third category are the reference in cooking. In all recipes, the weight of one copy is 40 grams.
First (C1)
The weight of eggs of the first grade is 55–64.9 g. In purified form - 50–59 g. A dozen have a total weight of about 550–649.9 g.
The second (C2)
The second grade of eggs, which is on the shelves at the lowest price, has a weight of 45-54.9 g (one piece) and 450-549.9 g (ten). Their protein weighs 25-30 g, and the yolk - 16-19 g.
Third (C3)
The goods of the third category are as rare on our shelves as they are the highest, because due to their very low weight (35–44.9 g one piece), it is unprofitable to sell them. The protein in them is only 19-25 g, the yolk is 12-16 g, and the shells are 3-4.9 g.
In terms of taste and nutrient content, the products do not differ. Based on the above data, you can only calculate which category the product is best, or rather, most profitable to purchase.
Now the average cost of three running categories is approximately as follows:
- a dozen C2 - 53 rubles;
- a dozen C1 - 59 rubles;
- a dozen CO - 63 rubles.
- C2: 53 ÷ 509 = 0.1041 rubles / g;
- C1: 59 ÷ 595 = 0.0992 rubles / g;
- СО: 63 ÷ 665 = 0.0947 rubles / g.
By type
The division of goods into types is carried out by the expiration date. There are two types of product:
- "D" (diet). This is not some special kind of eggs, with a minimal calorie content. This is a regular product whose shelf life does not exceed a week from the date of demolition. For a given period of time, it should be implemented. It is stored only at positive temperatures. When viewed on an ovoscope, you can see that his air chamber is very small, his protein is dense, and the yolk does not stand out. The mark on this product is put in red. This is not much of a difference between a diet and a canteen. If the seller did not manage to sell the goods within the specified period, according to the rules prescribed in GOST, the product is re-marked in the second form.
- "C" (dining room). 25 days are allocated for the sale of specimens of this species. The duration of their storage can be increased to 120 days by placing the goods in the refrigerator. It is believed that if table eggs were stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of –1 ...– 2 ° C for 30 days, then they are fresh. It has a blue mark.
The benefits and harms of eggs
Despite the fact that the chicken egg is a very popular food product, there are ongoing discussions around it about its benefits and harm to the body. Here is a list of useful and harmful qualities of the product, so that after analyzing it, everyone can make a conclusion for themselves about the appropriateness of use.
Important! On the packages you can find additional postscript: «eco», «rustic», «enriched»with iodine. Such a product is obtained by adding certain products to the ration of a layer or under special conditions for keeping birds. But there is no guarantee that the manufacturer adhered to all the rules, and the marking is true.
Benefit:
- a source of easily digestible protein;
- contains an essential amino acid, leucine, which is involved in the processes of protein formation;
- rich in vitamins and minerals;
- almost completely absorbed by the body;
- nutritious.
Harm:- able to increase the level of "bad" cholesterol in the blood;
- when eating a raw product there is a danger of contracting salmonella;
- to treat a bird or maintain its health, under isolated conditions, poultry houses use antibiotics that enter the human body through eggs;
- in large quantities are contraindicated for diabetics;
- may contain hormones that are administered to the bird to increase productivity.
Did you know? The Americans were able to breed a breed of chickens called Araucana, which brings blue eggs. They are distinguished from ordinary ones only by the color of the shell.
GOST requirements
According to the current GOST in the country, all categories of eggs produced by poultry farms for sale must comply with the requirements:
- whole, clean shell without intersperses;
- without foreign inclusions in the lumen;
- without smell;
- without moisture on the surface;
- on the ovoscope: the air chamber is stationary, the protein is dense, transparent, the yolk is strong, poorly noticeable, without a clear border, slightly mobile;
- have a mark and correspond to it;
- if processing was carried out, there must be an appropriate mark (1 - without treatment, 2 - chilled (stored at –20 ... 0 ° С), 3 - chilled (stored at 0-5 ° С), 4 - processed for preservation) ;
- tuberous materials that comply with regulatory documents (safe, intact, dry, odorless) are used as packaging;
- in one package there should be eggs of one grade and one production date;
- on the packaging, the marking must correspond to the packaged product;
- containers that have already been used must be disinfected in accordance with the regulations.
How to check the freshness of eggs?
If you are not sure that the product you purchased meets the specified expiration date, its freshness can be easily determined at home. To do this, take any deep vessel and fill it with water. Put an egg in it. If it remains to lie exactly at the bottom, then fresh.
One end touches the bottom and the other comes up - the product is about a week old. Surfaced with a blunt end up and hung like a float, appearing a little above the water - 2-3 weeks. Fully surfaced and lies horizontally on the surface - 5-6 weeks.
Did you know? The usual cardboard packaging for eggs was invented in 1911 by the Canadian Joseph Coyle. Previously, packaging was made of paper. The aim of the invention was to resolve the dispute about broken eggs between the farmer and the owner of the hotel.
To summarize, we draw your attention to the fact that the range of eggs presented in stores differs only in shelf life and size. The nutritional value of all is identical. Therefore, you can choose any category you like.
