What is an egg used for in food?

Eggs are versatile in food preparation due to their distinct components. Egg yolks contain emulsified fat, which enhances color, flavor, and texture in bakery foods. Egg whites , primarily protein, contribute to texture, creating stable foams for meringues and angel food cakes. Eggs are utilized for various purposes, such as leavening cakes , clarifying broth, and binding ingredients like meatloaf. As ingredients, they suit specific needs: the foaming properties are vital in bakery items, the yolk acts as an emulsifier in mayonnaise and salad oils, and they enhance binding in meats. They also improve consistency and appearance and extend shelf life. Nutritionally, eggs offer protein, vitamin A , calcium, and iron.

Which animals commonly lay eggs that people eat?

Many kinds of eggs are produced for human consumption, with chicken eggs representing the bulk of egg production in both the United States and Europe. Duck eggs are also consumed as food in parts of Europe and Asia, while goose eggs are a food in many European countries. Other eggs that people eat include those from turkeys , pigeons , pheasants , and quail .

What nutrients do eggs provide?

Eggs have a well-deserved reputation as a nutritious food. The whole egg is a source of high-quality protein that contains all the amino acids needed in the human diet. It is an excellent source of all vitamins (except vitamin C) and contains essential minerals, including phosphorus and zinc . The egg yolk is rich in both protein and vitamin A , and also provides calcium and iron . Egg yolks have high levels of unsaturated fatty acids.

How are eggs cooked in different ways?

Eggs can be cooked in many ways, showcasing their versatility as a food. They can be poached , by dropping them from their shell and cooking them in simmering water. Another popular method is scrambling , where the whites and yolks are stirred together while cooking, sometimes with a bit of milk. Eggs can also be hard-boiled , deviled, pickled, or soft-boiled. They can be incorporated into dishes like omelets and frittatas, or combined with ingredients such as bacon, cheese, and potatoes. Furthermore, eggs are utilized in various food products, enhancing binding properties in meats and acting as an emulsifier in items like mayonnaise.

Why do some people avoid eating eggs?

People may avoid eating eggs for ethical, health, or dietary reasons. Some people choose not to eat eggs due to concerns about animal welfare in intensive animal farming, where animals are crowded in unsanitary conditions and deprived of space to perform natural behaviors. For those with dietary restrictions, low-cholesterol or cholesterol-free egg substitutes have been developed by replacing the egg yolk with vegetable oils, emulsifiers, stabilizers, color, vitamins, and minerals. Fat-free egg substitutes are also available for commercial use.

How are eggs used in baking and cooking recipes?

Eggs are versatile ingredients with many culinary functions. They act as leaven in cakes, clarify broth, and bind ingredients, such as in meatloaf . The yolks add color, flavor, and texture to baked goods because they contain more than 50% solids, most of which is emulsified fat. Egg whites are primarily protein and provide structure to baked goods. Meringues and angel food cakes depend on egg whites for their basic structure. Custard is a mixture of eggs, milk, sugar, and flavorings which attains its consistency by the coagulation of the egg protein by heat. As emulsifiers , they encourage the suspension of one liquid in another, such as oil and water, which is why they are often used in margarine , ice cream , and salad dressing .

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Images & Videos

Labeled diagram of an animal egg cut in half, showing structural components including the outer shell layers, inner and outer membranes, yolk with its membrane and germinal disc, and albumen with thick and thin egg white, chalaza, and chalaziferous layer.

Why do chicken eggs come in different colors?

Illustration of Jesus Christ with a radiant halo, surrounded by colorful, patterned Easter eggs, symbolizing the connection between Easter eggs and the Christian holiday.

A close-up of a raw chicken egg yolk resting on a flat surface, surrounded by clear egg white.

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Sep. 26, 2026 •History

Top Questions

What is an egg used for in food?
Eggs are versatile in food preparation due to their distinct components. Egg yolks contain emulsified fat, which enhances color, flavor, and texture in bakery foods. Egg whites, primarily protein, contribute to texture, creating stable foams for meringues and angel food cakes.

Eggs are utilized for various purposes, such as leavening cakes, clarifying broth, and binding ingredients like meatloaf. As ingredients, they suit specific needs: the foaming properties are vital in bakery items, the yolk acts as an emulsifier in mayonnaise and salad oils, and they enhance binding in meats. They also improve consistency and appearance and extend shelf life.

Nutritionally, eggs offer protein, vitamin A, calcium, and iron.
6 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Which animals commonly lay eggs that people eat?
Many kinds of eggs are produced for human consumption, with chicken eggs representing the bulk of egg production in both the United States and Europe. Duck eggs are also consumed as food in parts of Europe and Asia, while goose eggs are a food in many European countries.

Other eggs that people eat include those from turkeys, pigeons, pheasants, and quail.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What nutrients do eggs provide?
Eggs have a well-deserved reputation as a nutritious food. The whole egg is a source of high-quality protein that contains all the amino acids needed in the human diet. It is an excellent source of all vitamins (except vitamin C) and contains essential minerals, including phosphorus and zinc. The egg yolk is rich in both protein and vitamin A, and also provides calcium and iron. Egg yolks have high levels of unsaturated fatty acids.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How are eggs cooked in different ways?
Eggs can be cooked in many ways, showcasing their versatility as a food. They can be poached, by dropping them from their shell and cooking them in simmering water. Another popular method is scrambling, where the whites and yolks are stirred together while cooking, sometimes with a bit of milk. Eggs can also be hard-boiled, deviled, pickled, or soft-boiled. They can be incorporated into dishes like omelets and frittatas, or combined with ingredients such as bacon, cheese, and potatoes. Furthermore, eggs are utilized in various food products, enhancing binding properties in meats and acting as an emulsifier in items like mayonnaise.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why do some people avoid eating eggs?
People may avoid eating eggs for ethical, health, or dietary reasons. Some people choose not to eat eggs due to concerns about animal welfare in intensive animal farming, where animals are crowded in unsanitary conditions and deprived of space to perform natural behaviors.

For those with dietary restrictions, low-cholesterol or cholesterol-free egg substitutes have been developed by replacing the egg yolk with vegetable oils, emulsifiers, stabilizers, color, vitamins, and minerals. Fat-free egg substitutes are also available for commercial use.
2 Britannica Sources
1. intensive animal farming: Animal welfare
2. egg: Specialty egg products
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How are eggs used in baking and cooking recipes?
Eggs are versatile ingredients with many culinary functions. They act as leaven in cakes, clarify broth, and bind ingredients, such as in meatloaf.

The yolks add color, flavor, and texture to baked goods because they contain more than 50% solids, most of which is emulsified fat. Egg whites are primarily protein and provide structure to baked goods. Meringues and angel food cakes depend on egg whites for their basic structure.

Custard is a mixture of eggs, milk, sugar, and flavorings which attains its consistency by the coagulation of the egg protein by heat. As emulsifiers, they encourage the suspension of one liquid in another, such as oil and water, which is why they are often used in margarine, ice cream, and salad dressing.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

egg, the content of the hard-shelled reproductive body produced by a bird, considered as food.

While the primary role of the egg obviously is to reproduce the species, most eggs laid by domestic fowl, except those specifically set aside for hatching, are not fertilized but are sold mainly for human consumption. Eggs produced in quantity come from chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, pigeons, pheasants, and quail. This article describes the processing of chicken eggs, which represent the bulk of egg production in the United States and Europe. Duck eggs are consumed as food in parts of Europe and Asia, and goose eggs are also a food in many European countries. Commercial production of turkey and pigeon eggs is almost entirely confined to those used for producing turkey poults and young pigeons (squabs). Pheasant and quail eggs provide birds for hobby or sport use.

Characteristics of the egg

Structure and composition

The structural components of the egg include the shell and shell membranes (10 percent); the albumen or white (60 percent), including the thick albumen, the outer thin albumen, the inner thin albumen, and the chalazae; and the yolk (30 percent). In a fertilized egg, the yolk supplies the nutrients and the albumen supplies the water necessary for the development of the embryo. In addition, the layers of albumen act as a cushion to protect the embryo from jarring movements, while the chalazae help to maintain the orientation of the embryo within the egg.

The nutrient composition of chicken eggs is presented in the table.

Nutrient composition of fresh chicken egg (per 100 g)*
	energy (kcal)	water (g)	protein (g)	fat (g)	cholesterol (mg)	carbohydrate (g)	vitamin A (IU)	riboflavin (mg)	calcium (mg)	phosphorus (mg)
*100 g is approximately equal to two large whole eggs.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Composition of Foods, Agriculture Handbook no. 8-1.
whole egg	149	75.33	12.49	10.02	425	1.22	635	0.508	49	178
yolk	358	48.81	16.76	30.87	1,281	1.78	1,945	0.639	137	488
white	50	87.81	10.52	0	—	1.03	—	0.452	6	13

The whole egg is a source of high-quality protein (i.e., proteins that contain all the amino acids needed in the human diet). In addition, it is an excellent source of all vitamins (except vitamin C) and contains many essential minerals, including phosphorus and zinc.

Slices of lemon pie topped with meringue.

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Baking and Baked Goods Quiz

All the fats, or lipids, as well as the cholesterol are found in the yolk. Yolk lipids are high in unsaturated fatty acids, with the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids commonly being 2 to 1. By influencing the diet of the hen, some processors are able to market shell eggs with a higher ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids. Particular emphasis is being given to increasing the highly unsaturated long-chain omega-3 fatty acids by adding fish oil to the hen feed. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to play a role both in normal growth and development and in the prevention of many diseases.

The cholesterol content of a whole large egg is approximately 216 milligrams—a substantially lower figure than that reported before the late 1980s, when improved analytical techniques were instituted. Moreover, the egg industry has probably made some progress in lowering cholesterol content through genetic selection and improved diets.

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Microbiology

More than 90 percent of all eggs are free of contamination at the time they are laid; contamination with Salmonella bacteria and with certain spoilage organisms occurs essentially afterward. Proper washing and sanitizing of eggs eliminates most Salmonella and spoilage organisms deposited on the shell. The organism Salmonella enteritidis, a common cause of gastroenteritis (a form of food poisoning), has been found to be transferred through the hen ovary in fewer than 1 percent of all eggs produced. Ovarian-transferred S. enteritidis can be controlled by thorough cooking of eggs (i.e., until there are no runny whites or yolk).

Certain spoilage organisms (e.g., Alcaligenes, Proteus, Pseudomonas, and some molds) may produce green, pink, black, colourless, and other rots in eggs after long periods of storage. However, since eggs move through market channels rapidly, the modern consumer seldom encounters spoiled eggs.

Fresh eggs

egg candlingEggs being flash candled to detect cracks, blood spots, and other defects.

Fresh eggs are gathered on automatic collection belts at the farm and stored in a cooler at about 7 °C (45 °F). The eggs are then delivered to a central processing plant, where they are washed, sanitized, and graded. Grading involves the sorting of eggs into size and quality categories using automated machines. Flash candling (passing the eggs over a strong light source) detects any abnormalities such as cracked eggs and eggs containing blood spots or other defects. Higher-grade eggs have a thick, upstanding white, an oval yolk, and a clean, smooth, unbroken shell.

egg sortingEggs being sorted by size and quality.

In the United States eggs are sized on the basis of a minimum weight per dozen in ounces. One dozen extra large eggs weigh 27 ounces (765 grams); large eggs, 24 ounces; medium eggs, 21 ounces. Weight standards in other countries vary, but most are measured in metric units. For example, eggs might be sold in cartons of 10 eggs each.

Most eggs sold in modern supermarkets are approximately four to five days old. If kept refrigerated by the consumer, they will maintain good quality and flavour for about four weeks.

egg

Characteristics of the egg

Structure and composition

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Microbiology

Fresh eggs