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Why Duck Eggs Can Be A Better Alternative To Chicken Eggs?

Eggs are an essential part of a diet and used by many food industries for making egg products. Worldwide, the market for poultry is dominated by chicken eggs. However, in recent years, duck eggs have gained high popularity, especially in Asian countries due to their additional benefits compared to chicken eggs.

Duck Eggs Vs Chicken Eggs

There are many factors that differentiate duck eggs from chicken eggs. In this article, we will discuss why duck eggs can be a better alternative to chicken eggs. Take a look.

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1. Larger In Size

1. Larger In Size

The basic difference between the duck eggs and chicken eggs is that the prior is approximately 50 per cent bigger than the average size of the latter. Duck eggs are also visually differentiable from chicken eggs due to their yellowish, green, pale grey, blue and black shades. [1]

2. Creamier In Taste

The diversity of proteins is responsible for the foaming and gelling properties of duck eggs. Ovalbumin, a protein in duck eggs show higher inhibitory action towards food additives which are added in food industries to improve the texture property of eggs. This is responsible for the richer and creamier taste of duck eggs. [2]

3. More Proteins

Duck albumen contains five types of main proteins: Ovalbumin (40%), ovomucoid (10%), ovotransferrin (2%), ovomucin (3%) and lysozyme (1.2%). Compared to other avian eggs, duck eggs show high protein concentration, the reason why it is considered nutritious than hen eggs. [3]

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4. Richer In Folate

4. Richer In Folate

Duck eggs contain 80 µg folate while chicken eggs contain 47 µg per 100 g. The high folate or vitamin B9 in duck egg is associated with decreased risk of pregnancy complications, heart diseases and cancers.

5. High In Vitamin B12

Duck eggs have a higher percentage of egg yolks compared to chicken or other avian eggs. A study has shown that there is more vitamin B12 in egg yolk compared to egg white. As the yolk of duck eggs are bigger, it may be concluded that vitamin B12 can be more in duck eggs compared to chicken eggs, whose egg yolks are smaller. [4]

6. High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Yolks are a dense source of essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. Duck eggs contain bigger yolk than chicken eggs and thus, more omega-3 fatty acids. The nutrient is good for the heart and can make for a larger portion of the daily fatty acid requirements.

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7. Good For Baking

7. Good For Baking

Egg albumin is the main ingredient in bakery goods such as cakes, pastries and cookies. Duck eggs have excellent foaming properties due to their proteins. The proteins form a viscous film and have a rapid absorption rate during whipping. Also, the foams of duck eggs have higher stability and its nutritious is not affected by high temperature (as in baking). This makes duck eggs suitable for baking purposes.

8. Need Lower Maintenance

Market demands high-quality eggs with improved physical properties. Duck eggs have strong eggshell, high ability to resist shocks, high stability, big size and varieties of shades. The strong eggshell of duck eggs prevents breakage to a great extent while their protein stability to room temperature increases the shelf life. That's why duck eggs need lower maintenance and are easy to handle.

9. Best Alternative For Allergic Individuals

Food allergy due to the consumption of eggs is common in people. Ovomucoid is the main food allergen protein found in eggs white of both the eggs i.e duck eggs and chicken eggs. If a person is allergic to ovomucoid of chicken eggs, duck eggs can be the best alternative or vice-versa. [5]

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10. Have More Antibacterial Effect

10. Have More Antibacterial Effect

Egg white provides protection against many invading bacteria which may interfere in the embryo development. A study has shown that duck egg whites have higher antimicrobial activity against Salmonella compared to chicken eggs. [6]

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11. More Stable During Storage

Ovalbumin in duck eggs is the most dominant protein. According to a study, storage temperature has no considerable effect on the protein patterns of duck eggs thatwere kept for 15 days compared to hen eggs. This shows that albumin in duck eggs is not severely affected when kept at room temperature for long storage. [7]

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Story first published: Friday, December 4, 2020, 17:19 [IST]