Egg Facts

Eggs are one of nature's most perfectly balanced foods, containing all the protein, vitamins and minerals essential for good health. As such, they are a good choice as part of a healthy balanced diet.

Storage
Ideally keep eggs refrigerated after purchase or in a cool dry place. Eggs have a porous shell that can easily absorb strong odours and should therefore be stored in their box and away from strong-smelling foods. All eggs stamped with the Lion mark should now carry a Best Before date. This date corresponds precisely to 28 days after laying (not packing), so you are, therefore, able to work out just how fresh your eggs are.

Egg Sizes
Egg sizes are specified under strict EU guidelines.

• Very Large or XL: >73g
• Large or L: 73g - 63g
• Medium or M: 63g - 53g
• Small or S: <53g

Double Yolkers
Generally laid by young hens coming in to lay, double yolkers are not that uncommon.

Blood Spots
Occasionally found on an egg yolk. Contrary to popular opinion, these tiny spots do not indicate a fertilized egg. Rather, they are caused by the rupture of a blood vessel on the yolk surface during formation of the egg or by a similar accident in the wall of the oviduct. Less than 1% of all eggs produced have blood spots. Our candling methods reveal most eggs with blood spots and those eggs are removed but, it is impossible to catch all of them. As an egg ages, the yolk takes up water from the albumen to dilute the blood spot so, in actuality, a blood spot indicates that the egg is fresh. Both chemically and nutritionally, these eggs are fit to eat. The spot can be removed with the tip of a knife, if you wish.

What is the typical day of a James Potter Free Range hen
Their daily routine is one most of us would envy: up at around 6:00am, they lay their eggs in the warm, quite sanctuary of the nestboxes. Then at around 8:00am special 'pop' holes located around the house open automatically to allow the hens access to the range anytime during the day. This tends to be most of the day, but on wet/windy days they very sensibly tend to stay inside. After a chilled out day on the range they amble back for a good nights kip in the safety of their house.

Vitamins and minerals in an egg

Vitamins
Eggs contain most of the recognised vitamins with the exception of vitamin C. The egg is a good source of all the B vitamins, plus the fat-soluble vitamin A. It also provides useful amounts of vitamin D, as well as some vitamin E.

Minerals
Eggs contain most of the minerals that the human body requires for health. In particular eggs are an excellent source of iodine, required to make the thyroid hormone, and phosphorus, required for bone health. The egg provides significant amounts of zinc, important for wound healing, growth and fighting infection; selenium, an important antioxidant; and calcium, needed for bone and growth structure and nervous function. Eggs also contain significant amounts of iron, the vital ingredient of red blood cells, but the availability of this iron to the body is uncertain.

Fat
10.8% of the egg content is fat and a typical egg contains only 5g of fat of which only 1.5g is saturated. The fat of an egg is found almost entirely in the yolk; there is less than 0.05% in the albumen. A medium egg contains less than 80 calories.

Cholesterol
Previous limits on egg consumption have been lifted as it is now known that the cholesterol they contain does not have a significant effect on blood cholesterol. This means that most people can eat eggs without adversely affecting their blood cholesterol levels, provided that it is in combination with a healthy diet, low in saturated fat.

Nutritional composition of an egg

Source: Royal Society of Chemistry/ MAFF 1991 The Composition of Foods (5th edition)

These tables show the minerals and vitamins in a medium 58g fresh egg.

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