Egg nutrition for health promotion: highlights from the symposium in Banff, Canada

This report summarises the main papers presented at the Third International Symposium on Egg Nutrition for Health Promotion, held in Banff, Canada in April, 2004. There are many marketing opportunities for eggs in forms other than shell egg and unmodified egg product. Eggs can be enriched with substances beneficial to human health such as selenium, zinc, vitamin E, folate, lutein, choline, phytoestrogens and omega-3 long chain fatty acids. Substances that inhibit the growth of microorganisms can be extracted from egg white and egg shell membranes. Eggs can be used for antibody farming and such antibodies can be used to treat lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis, dental caries, the organism that causes stomach ulcers and the organism responsible for diarrhoea in children in developing countries. Products from eggs are also used in the cosmetics industry. The challenges for the wider industry are to ensure that these 'ovo-nutraceuticals' and 'bio-medical products' can be produced cost-effectively, to increase the range of products available on the market, to increase market penetration and be competitive against rival products.