THE PERFECT EGG

FOOD TECHNOLOGY: Is it possible to improve one of nature’s most perfect creations, the egg? That is what they are trying to do at Hedegaard Foods, one of Scandinavia’s largest egg producers, to add value for customers

There is nothing like a soft-boiled egg for getting cooks steamed up about how best to prepare it. The latest theory of perfection is 40 minutes at precisely 67 °C, but it is one theory among many. Some advocate placing the egg in cold water and then heating to boiling point, which is then maintained for 3 1/2 minutes. Others place the egg in boiling water for 4 minutes. Others again insist that the egg must be at room temperature to start with, while yet others equally insist that it must be taken directly from the fridge. And there are many more variations on the theme. The perfect soft-boiled egg is a much disputed affair!

“I am a traditionalist myself,” says Executive Director Ivan Noes Jørgensen of Hedegaard Foods. “I put the egg in cold water, bring it quickly to the boil, then let it simmer for 4 minutes. But I acknowledge that it can be done in countless other ways.”

One of Hedegaard Food’s latest egg products is whipped egg in an aerosol. Instead of painting egg on baked goods to achieve a golden surface, it can now be sprayed on.

Eggs for all purposes
Hedegaard Foods is among the Nordic region’s leading egg producers of both the organic and non-organic varieties, as well as pasteurised eggs and boiled and shelled egg products. The company sells to both consumers and the food industry. Hedegaard Foods takes a very scientific approach to processing and product development. In collaboration with the Danish Technological Institute in Kolding, the company is trying to produce eggs with perfect properties for all purposes.

“Egg white contains more than 10 different proteins which influence the egg’s functional properties,” says Ivan Noes Jørgensen. “We are experimenting with various processes to adjust these properties so that we can offer optimised eggs with added value for our customers. We do this by homogenising, pasteurising or preserving the eggs in different ways which, depending on the method, give different results.

“If an egg can be processed to achieve a 15% increase in baking volume, that would be of great interest to the food industry, from both a quantitative and qualitative perspective. That make the perfect layer cake can resist the pressure from fillings in between.”

Customised
Hedegaard Foods has formed an alliance with the Danish Technological Institute, which has the expertise and equipment to test the physical properties of baked goods. The institute has already carried out test measurements on layer cake bases to examine rigidity and elasticity.

“We are going to start carrying out a lot more tests,” says Ivan Noes Jørgensen. “Our long-term objective is to develop further egg products which can be customised to end user needs. For example, eggs for frozen bakery products are still a major challenge, just as the stability of foamed egg whites can be improved.

http://www.hedegaard-foods.dk
http://www.teknologisk.dk