Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Poultry egg is basic ingredient
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-26
2001-11-13
Weier, Anthony J. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...
Poultry egg is basic ingredient
C426S002000, C426S807000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06316041
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to poultry eggs which are produced for human consumption. More specifically this invention relates to a method for the production of modified eggs having enhanced health and nutritive benefits.
There is increasing interest in the concept of “functional foods”, which the FDA defines as foods that by virtue of physiologically active components provide benefits beyond basic nutrition and may prevent disease and promote health. Because of a demographic trend to an increasing senior population, there is a tending urgency for the development of functional foods to subserve a healthier lifestyle.
With respect to food commodities, chicken eggs are recognized as an excellent source of dietary protein. Recently, concern over the high incidence of heart disease in developed countries has led to the identification of risk factors involved in heart disease.
It is generally accepted that high levels of saturated lipids and cholesterol in the human diet increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and hypertension.
The medical community has recommended ingestion of polyunsaturated fatty acids for the purpose of reducing the risk of coronary heart disease.
Plant polyunsaturated oils contain omega-6 fatty acids such as linoleic acid which provide some limited dietary benefits. Fish oils contain substantial omega-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, and it has been determined that fish oils significantly reduce the likelihood of cardiovascular disease when included in a dietary regimen. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids also have been linked to a reduction in cholesterol level in blood serum.
Because persons with an elevated blood cholesterol level statistically have an increased risk of coronary heart disease, medical practitioners recommend a reduced dietary intake of cholesterol. Since chicken eggs have a high content of cholesterol (typically between 213-280 milligrams), health advisors recommend limiting or eliminating eggs from the diet of persons having a high blood cholesterol level.
The elimination of chicken eggs as a food source is a disadvantage, since eggs represent a convenient low-cost source of protein and minerals and other nutrients in a highly digestible form.
Research has been conducted in an effort to develop a poultry egg which has reduced quantities of cholesterol and saturated fatty acids. The methods reported for reduction of the cholesterol and saturated fatty acid content of poultry eggs generally have been unsatisfactory. These methods are reported in technical publications which include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,128,640; 4,187,294; 4,197,293; 4,197,294; 4,394,376; 4,410,541; 4,738,853; 4,764,531; 5,012,761; 5,091,195; 5,246,717; 5,415,879; 5,520,938; 5,665,375; and 5,759,567; incorporated herein by reference.
There is active interest in the research and development of new and effective methods for modifying poultry eggs to qualify them for modern dietary protocols.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a method for producing modified eggs with beneficial health and nutritive values.
It is another object of this invention to provide a poultry feed for egg-laying hens for the production of eggs with a reduced cholesterol and saturated fatty acid content.
It is another object of this invention to provide a modified poultry egg with a lower saturated/unsaturated fatty acid ratio.
It is another object of this invention to provide a modified poultry egg with a content of omega-3 unsaturated fatty acid.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a modified poultry egg with a reduced total fatty acid content.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention shall become apparent from the accompanying description and examples.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
One of more objects of the present invention are accomplished by the provision of a modified egg with enhanced health and nutritive values for human consumption, wherein the modified egg is a whole shell poultry egg having a content of constituents comprising less than about 160 milligrams of cholesterol per 50 grams of edible egg, less than about 1.2 grams of saturated fatty acid per 50 grams of edible egg, at least about 70 milligrams of total omega-3 unsaturated fatty acid per 50 grams of edible egg, between about 0-300 milligrams of docosahexaenoic acid per 50 grams of edible egg, and between about 0-10 milligrams of conjugated linoleic acid per 50 grams of edible egg.
The term “poultry” as employed herein refers in particular to an egg-laying chicken hen, and in general to avian species which include turkey, duck, goose, pigeon, guinea fowl, peafowl, quail, pheasant, chukar, partidge, grouse, emu, rhea and ostrich.
The term “fatty acid” as employed herein refers to fatty acid in the free form, and fatty acid which is in the form of esters such as triglycerides, and fatty acid which is the form of salts such as alkali metal derivatives.
The term “edible egg” as employed herein refers to the liquid contents of a whole poultry egg which is de-shelled.
Commercial chicken shell eggs consists of 8-11% shell, 56-61% albumen, and 27-32% yolk. De-shelled whole egg is about 36% yolk and 64% albumen.
The composition of albumen, yolk and whole egg is described in Chapter 6 of “Egg Science & Technology” (Second Edition, Avi Publishing Company, 1977).
Egg
% Protein
% Lipid
Albumen
9.7-10.6
0.03
Yolk
15.7-16.6
31.8-35.5
Whole Egg
12.8-13.4
10.5-11.8
The composition of yolk lipid is 65.5% triglyceride, 28.3% phospholipid and 5.2% cholesterol. The yolk phospholipid is composed of about 73% phosphatidylcholine, 15% phosphatidylethanolamine, 5.8% lysophosphatidylcholine, 2.5% sphinogomyelin, 2.1% lysophosphatidylethanolamine, 0.9% plasmalogen and 0.6% inositol phospholipid.
The yolk of an average chicken shell egg contains a distribution of saturated and unsaturated fatty acid. A “C 16:1” designation refers to a fatty acid with 16 carbon atoms and one double bond.
Yolk Fatty Acid
% of Total Fatty Acids
C 16:0
23.5
C 16:1
3.8
C 18:0
14.0
C 18:1
38.4
C 18:2
16.4
C 18:3
1.4
C 20:4
1.3
C 20:5
0.4
C 22.5
0.4
C 22:6
0.8
Fatty acids are numbered from the carboxylic carbon atom. The position of double bonds is indicated by the greek letter delta (&Dgr;) followed by the carbon number of the double bond, i.e., C 20:5 omega-3 &Dgr;
5,8,11,14,17
. The omega (&ohgr;) notation refers to the position of a double bond as an indicated number of carbon atoms from the terminal end of an unsaturated fatty acid. The designation for eicosapentaenoic acid, an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, is C 20:5 &ohgr;-3 &Dgr;
5,8,11,14,17
. Docosapentaenoic acid is C 22:5 &ohgr;-3 &Dgr;
7,10,13,16,19
and docosahexaenoic acid is C 22:6 &ohgr;-3 &Dgr;
4,7,10,13,16,19
. The designation omega-6 (&ohgr;-6) refers to a fatty acid such as linoleic acid that has a double bond which is at carbon position six from the terminal end of the fatty acid.
A present invention modified egg provides health and nutritive benefits in comparison with a commercial product such as chicken eggs. A present invention modified egg typically has a content, per 50 grams of edible egg, of between about 106-160 milligrams of cholesterol, between about 0.8-1.2 grams of saturated fatty acid, between about 70-400 milligrams of total omega-3 unsaturated fatty acid, between about 5-300 milligrams of docosahexaenoic acid, between about 1-10 milligrams of conjugated linoleic acid, between about 0.5-10 milligrams of vitamin E, between about 10-150 micrograms of folate (folic acid), and between about 1-120 micrograms of iodine. Optionally, a present invention modified egg can have a yolk Roche Color Scale value between about 8-15.
In a preferred embodiment, a present invention poultry egg contains less than about 1.2 grams of saturated fatty acid and at least about 2 grams of unsaturated fatty acid per 50 grams of edible egg, and an effective quantity of antioxidant.
Suitable antioxidants are illustrated by vitamin E and ethoxyquin.
Compton James D.
Stock Robert H.
LifeRight Foods, L.L.C.
Watov & Kipnes P.C.
Weier Anthony J.
LandOfFree
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