ETHICAL ISSUES IN EGGS

Battery cage egg production 58% Hens are housed in wire cages. The Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of the Domestic Fowl requires laying birds to have a minimum of between 550cm² and 1000cm² depending on the weight of the bird. The cages house thousands of birds in each one. fed with pellets and drinking water is usually supplied by nipple drinkers. The birds do not have perches or nesting materials. The eggs are laid onto wire cage floors and roll to the front of the cage for collection.

Barn laid egg production 10% Hens live in a shed, roaming around. perches, litter, nest boxes, feeders and drinkers. This system allows hens to move around, stretch, flap their wings, socialise, perch, lay their eggs in nest boxes.

Free range egg production 28% Hens have both sheds and access outdoors for 8 hours each day. Perches, nest boxes, food and water Some small free range systems have mobile shelters that can be moved around to allow rotation of the range area.

Organic egg production Hens must be fed an organically produced diet and ranged on organic land. Hens must be provided with nest boxes. Litter and perches must be provided. provision of outdoor shading, additional height and width of popholes, open for 8 hours daily to allow access to the outside

Egg Nutrition they are a natural source of many nutrients including high quality protein, vitamins and minerals. A medium egg contains less than 70 calories. contain vitamin A and a number of other B vitamins including folate, biotin, pantothenic acid and choline, and essential minerals, including phosphorus. Most of an egg’s total fatty acid composition is monounsaturated( 9% fat) Protein is needed for the growth and repair of all body cells and tissues. Eggs are an excellent source of natural protein and are also relatively cheap when compared to other high-protein foods such as meat. A high level of blood cholesterol increases the risk of heart. People should limit the number of eggs they eat because they contain cholesterol, but current evidence suggests that dietary cholesterol does not increase the risk of heart disease in most healthy people.

Experts opinion British Heart Foundation: So while too many fried eggs and cheesy omelettes may risk raising your cholesterol, it's actually the added fat from the frying or the addition of cheese, which is high in saturated fat, that's the problem. Poached, boiled or scrambled eggs (without butter) are all absolutely fine and there are no restrictions on how many we should eat as part of a balanced diet.

Safety and allergy that lightly cooked eggs should not be served to vulnerable groups – ie infants, pregnant women, elderly and debilitated people. uncooked dishes involving raw eggs should be avoided (salmonella). salmonella has been virtually eliminated from British Lion eggs. Egg proteins are among the food proteins that may cause reactions of both types in predisposed individuals(Food hypersensitivity reactions that involve the immune system)

Experts tips for pregnant women "Eggs are an excellent food for pregnant women as they contain many important nutrients; vitamin D, folate, iodine, selenium, choline, long chain n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and of course they are a rich source of good quality protein.

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