Sustainability and Quality Aspects of Different Table Egg Production Systems: A Literature Review

Abstract

Eggs are of considerable importance in feeding the population, as they are a relatively inexpensive and complex food source of very high biological value. The daily animal protein requirement for the human body can be covered with eggs in the cheapest way and with the lowest environmental impact. As animal welfare, as well as environmental and health awareness issues, become increasingly prominent in developed countries, consumer demand for eggs has also changed significantly in recent years, with an increasing number of consumers buying eggs produced in non-cage housing systems. In recent years, cage housing has been more frequently debated in EU member states. An initiative was launched in 2018 to end cage housing technologies and the sale of eggs produced in this way. However, in addition to animal welfare, a number of other factors need to be considered in relation to sustainable production. For this reason, the aim of this research is to provide a comprehensive overview of the sustainability issues of various housing technologies, as well as quality factors affecting consumer health and egg consumption based on the relevant international references and databases. Although there is a growing demand for products produced in non-cage housing systems due to the increasing relevance of environmental protection, health awareness and animal welfare issues in Western societies, research has shown that non-caged production is not the best solution for environmentally, socially and economically sustainable egg production.

Egg Quality Parameters, Production Performance and Immunity of Laying Hens Supplemented with Plant Extracts

“…Eggs are considered to be a “miracle food”, because they contain approximately 40 proteins, including antihypertensive and bactericidal proteins, 18 different amino acids, including nine essential amino acids, stable amino acid composition, optimal proportion of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, and no carbohydrates or trans fats. Therefore, eggs have been recognized as a reference protein for humans and they have the same biological value as breast milk [ 1 , 2 ]. The global production of table eggs has increased by 24.4% over the past decade, bringing production to 76.7 million tonnes in 2018, which is expected to increase further because of the high demand for animal-originated protein [ 3 ].…”

Roles of Estrogens in the Healthy and Diseased Oviparous Vertebrate Liver

“…They also contain essential vitamins, are rich in minerals, and present the desirable proportion of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids but do not contain carbohydrates and transfats. However, eggs also contain 150–180 mg of cholesterol per egg, which corresponds to 50–60% of the recommended daily intake [ 182 , 183 ]. Therefore, the best possible knowledge of all biological processes involved in egg production, under estrogen control, is essential in association with animal welfare, animal health, and food and environmental safety and will contribute to the optimal production of this “miracle food” called to be a major component of nutrition of populations all around the globe.…”

Impact of Nano-Bromocriptine on Egg Production Performance and Prolactin Expression in Layers

“…Eggs are important food for the human population because of their inexpensive price and high nutrient value. There is a huge demand for animal protein supply that could be covered with eggs [23]. In the present investigation, we tried to modulate the level of the prolactin gene expression in hens during their late laying phase using a minimal dose of bromocriptine and nano-bromocriptine.…”