WHAT ARE EGG PRODUCTS?

Egg products are used as ingredients by food manufacturers and caterers to save time, money and hassle, without neglecting quality or food safety responsibilities. There are an incredible amount of egg products available on the market today, if you can think of a way for egg to be sold then it probably exists. Eggs are available in liquid, frozen and dried forms. Also available are "value added" egg products such as boiled eggs, scotch eggs, fried eggs and omelettes and ready-to-use scrambled eggs and sandwich fillings.

These easy to use, pre-prepared egg products are being used in increasing quantities by caterers.

To add to the range, the latest innovation in the egg product sector is Extended Shelf Life egg. In the past, liquid egg would only have a life of around one week. Now, as with milk in the dairy industry, it is possible to pasteurise the egg at higher temperatures for a short time, then aseptically pack it into anything from 250ml up to 5 litre cartons. This type of egg will typically have a shelf life of approximately one month. As the ESL market expands, new markets for free range and organic egg products are being created and demanded by the general public.

EGG PRODUCTS AND THE CONSUMER

The egg products produced by members of the British Egg Products Association (BEPA) are destined for use in food manufacture, baking and large catering operations. Due to the economies of scale and levels of demand that apply, BEPA products are not normally available direct to consumers. Some of the larger retailers may stock small quantities of powdered or liquid egg; for larger quantities contact your local Cash and Carry.