SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- "Koreans like to add some health effects to foods. Health effects are called 'functionality'. Koreans think that eating more functional food can be more beneficial for health. So, various functional foods are emerging. Eggs, for instance. Korean eggs have gained various functionalities," said Professor of Food Engineering at Korea University (Korea Food Communication Forum), Park, Tae-kyun.
Functionalities of eggs are usually determined by what laying hens are fed. For example, eggs produced by chickens which have eaten sulfur, eggs produced by chickens which have eaten garlic produced in Uiseong (a county famous for garlic production in Korea), eggs produced by chickens which have eaten grass powder, and eggs produced by chickens which have eaten wormwood.
Eggs have various kinds of functionalities, such as helping to lose weight, boosting immune system improving intelligence.
Recently, Professor Kim Do-man and Professor Tae-sup Park of the Graduate School of International Agricultural Technology at Seoul National University shared their findings with the Journal of Food Science and Agriculture, an international journal in the field of agronomy and food science.
They confirmed that if buckwheat, fermented by the Rhizopus bacteria, is fed to chickens, egg production increases, and L-Carnitine and GABA (GABA) components become abundant.
Egg production of chickens fed with fermented buckwheat feed increased by 8.2% compared to that of the other group.
Also, the L-carnitine content of the egg yolk increased by 13.6% and the GABA content increased by 8.4%. Carnitine breaks down fat within the body, and GABA is a component that helps control blood pressure and strengthen immune system.
Functional eggs containing large amounts of lutein and gamma-linolenic acid help to improve vision and alleviate dermatological symptoms that have developed.
These are findings by the Korean Livestock Academy, the Rural Development Administration's government agency.
Lutein is used for the treatment of retinal cells and damaged skins. Also, it helps to improve cataracts, to prevent heart diseases and to prevent strokes.
Gamma-linolenic acid is effective for preventing atopic skin disease, delaying skin aging, preventing cardiovascular disease and hypertension, enhancing immunity, and preventing obesity.
Recently, a bill has been submitted to the Korean National Assembly to activate the functional agricultural and marine products market. Rep. Kim Chul Min of the Democratic Party, who initiated the bill, said, "As population aging is intensifying and the health & well-being culture is spreading, consumers' interest in health functionalities and market size is increasing."
In Korea, overseas exports of eggs have temporarily stopped, as egg production has declined because of the outbreak of avian influenza (AI) last year. Exporting Korean eggs has just recommenced again starting from Hong Kong.
"Korean eggs are refrigerated, shelf life is set, quality is standardized, and production history can be tracked when pollution problems occur," said Ahn Young-ki, chairman of Korea Self-help Committee for Eggs.
He emphasized that it is hygienic and all right to consume an egg after breaking the eggshell, even without washing.
In addition, eggs from laying hens, which have not been injected with an antibiotic scattering accelerator to raise, are more than 80% of all Korean eggs.
Contact:
Korea Food Communication Forum (KOFRUM)
Tel: +82-2-6300-2850
Email: foodpolis@kofrum.com
