ADDING VALUE TO EGGS SURE WAY OF BEATING LOW PRICES

Egg traders arrange their collected eggs. Processed, eggs are easier to preserve, transport, store and sell. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By Caroline Makau

One of the main challenges poultry farmers have to contend with is the low egg prices, which sometimes drop to a level one cannot earn any return on investment.

Adding value to eggs is a good option for a farmer who wants to beat the low prices.

Once processed, eggs are easier to preserve, transport, store and sell. The value added products include scrambled eggs, sandwich fillings, egg rolls and hard-boiled eggs.

To process the eggs, one can boil, dip in mineral oil, spray, pasteurise, dehydrate (removal of water ration from the egg) or freeze.

Pasteurisation, however, remains the most reliable technology as the eggs are treated at 74°C to guarantee a shelf-life of up to 10 weeks under frozen conditions and the quality is maintained.

Pasteurised products extracted from eggs include liquid whole eggs, dried whole, liquid yolk and dried yolk. 

In the food industry, the egg-sourced products are used as ingredients for different food products. Dried whole and dried white eggs are used in preparing meat products such as bacon, ham and sausage, primarily from pork.

Dried white and dried crystal white eggs are used in confectionary. The yolk is used by chefs for sauces and soups.

JOIN HANDS TO FORM COOPERATIVES

Smoothness of a liquid yolk is used for a creamy ice cream. Suspension and thickness properties makes eggs a perfect ingredient for mayonnaises.

White eggs are altered to be used to increased smoothness of the pasta. Dried whole eggs are modified to be used by cake makers for very airy pastries such as sponge cakes, muffins and doughnuts.

They are further used as ingredients by baby food manufacturers, salad dressing processors, restaurants and noodle manufacturers.

An investment in an egg processing line will require considerable resources from farmers, which is why joining hands to form cooperatives is the best way to go for such projects.

With the value added products, farmers can work with food industries whose needs in intermediate products keeps growing.

The farmers will also be able to control sources of profit and in some cases reach export markets.

Finally, the ability to process fresh eggs into egg powder will reduce post-harvest losses and ensure stable market when the shelled eggs are in less demand.

The writer is based at the Department of Dairy, Food Science and Technology, Egerton University.
SOURCE; NATIONMEDIA/SEEDSOFGOLD