MYTHS ON POULTRY MEAT AND EGGS
In India, the development and growth of poultry sector is phenomenal in the last few decades. However, this growth of the poultry industry was not smooth and easy, and had several impediments on its way to its today’s position. Even today there are several misconceptions / myths doing the rounds in poultry farming and related activities.
Here are some of the myths and facts.
I. MYTHS ON MEAT
1) Myth: Consuming broiler chicken meat is the reason for early Onset of puberty in young girls and infertility in males.
Fact: No, not at all. This misbelief is created based on the assumption that broilers are reared by injecting hormones. This is purely a distortion of facts. Hormones are costlier and it will not possible to use in the field and it is not economically feasible. As per ICMR recommendations 250g non veg per person per week is essential for healthier body. Poultry is the cheapest protein source available in our country compared to other animal proteins (fish, mutton, etc..). Social media rumors are false statements, and the reason for delayed puberty could be due to consumption of junk foods available in the market, lack of exercise, obesity, etc.
2) Myth: Broilers are attaining higher body weight by scheduled vaccines and hormones.
Fact: Generally hormones are costlier and using hormones under commercial farming conditions is impossible. Scheduled vaccines are given only to induce immunity in birds to protect them against various diseases. Moreover, vaccines are not growth promoters. Attaining 2 kg body weight in 6 weeks is based on the genetic factors and the management practices, wherein highly nutritive feed is given to the chicken.
3) Myth: Antibiotic and pesticide residues which are harmful to human health are present highly in broiler meat.
Fact: Not really. This can happen only when antibiotics are used indiscriminately without consulting a Veterinarian or poultry health expert. Pesticide residues can be present when poor quality feed ingredients are used for preparing poultry feed. Usually this does not happen since, in this competitive world when everybody is health concerned, the farmers know that such practices can affect their business, and use only quality feed free from antibiotics and pesticide residues. In this context, sooner or later we will have certified products available in the market for human consumption.
4) Myth: Antibiotics used as growth promoter in poultry can give resistance to disease causing pathogens present in human when they consume chicken.
Fact: This could be possible if antibiotics are used indiscriminately. But in reality, this could happen only very rarely because of few selfish farmers. Even in such cases, if the meat is consumed after the residual period is over, it is considered to be very safe. One more fact is, our cooking habits also will help in reducing the residual effects of antibiotics if at all they are present.
5) Myth: Some foreign countries produced plastic eggs (artificial eggs) and are marketed in India.
Fact: No. Egg has many components. The outer eggshell is made almost entirely of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and is covered with as many as 8000 tiny pores. Also there are outer and inner shell membranes surrounding the albumen (egg white). There is a dense, matted, fibrous capsule of albumen around the vitelline membrane of the yolk. The matted fibrous capsule terminates on each end in the chalazae, which are twisted in opposite directions and serve to keep the yolk centered. Yellow yolk, a major source of vitamins, minerals and almost half of the protein content, and all of the fat and cholesterol of an egg. An air space is formed when the contents of the egg cool and contract after it is laid. The air cell usually rests between the outer and inner membranes at the eggs larger end. Producing plastic eggs with the same structure in an artificial manner is an imaginary thing and producing an artificial egg for less than Rs.3 is practically not possible.
6) Myth: Are free range chickens healthier?
Not always. In fact, free range chickens are more likely to catch diseases, get injured and die earlier than those kept inside.
In the UK, free range egg layers have a mortality rate of 8-10%, which is far higher than caged hens’ death rate of 2-4%.
The contact between free range chickens and wild birds also increases the risk of spreading bird flu. And birds can die from over-consuming grass.
Cannibalism can also happen in egg layers and it is a big challenge for free range egg production systems in particular.
We always assume animals behave in a civilised manner. But the fact is free range layer hens may peck each other to death. Cannibalism in poultry is part of their natural behaviour and, unfortunately, it has proven difficult to get rid of.
7) Myth: Do free range or organic chickens taste better?
There is very little data supporting the idea that free range or organic chickens actually taste better than conventionally farmed ones.
Commercial meat chickens do not tend to like running around, as they were selected to maximise their growth. So it’s a myth that more exercise makes chicken meat more tender.
8) Why are some meat chickens yellow in colour?
In some cultures, chickens with yellow fat and skin are considered to be better quality. However, this is not true.
The yellowness of the skin, fat and egg yolk depends on the level of beta carotene in the diets. So those yellow chickens are fed with a corn-based diet, which is higher in beta carotene.
II. MYTHS ON EGGS
1) Myth: To lay eggs male birds (rooster / cock) are needed.
Fact: No, Cocks are not needed for the hens to lay eggs. Hens will starts its egg producing cycle (18 to 72 weeks) automatically after attaining its sexual maturity without mating. These eggs laid without mating are called as table eggs. In commercial farms, only female birds are reared and the eggs laid by them are used for consumption only. The farmers have to rear both males and females together only for producing hatching eggs and not for producing table eggs.
2) Myth: Sex of the chicks can be decided based on the shape of the eggs.
Fact: No, there is no correlation between the shape of the egg and sex of the chicks. Similarly it will not possible to conclude whether eggs are fertile or infertile without candling, a process by which the internal structures of the egg can be seen using a light source.
3) Myth: Brown shelled eggs are superior over white shelled eggs in terms of nutritive value
Fact: Not really. The Porphyrin pigments only provide brown colour to the shells. Moreover, the egg shells are not utilized by human beings for food purpose. Based on the research findings it is concluded that there exists no difference in the nutritive value of the white shelled and brown shelled eggs. Based on the health conditions and feed consumed by the birds there may be some differences in the composition of albumin and yolk.
4) Myth: Egg yolk is not a healthy food.
Fact: Wrong. People are of the opinion that cholesterol content will increase by the consumption of egg yolk alone which is nothing but a myth. Several factors increases the blood cholesterol level. But the yellow portion of the egg (yolk) contains proteins, vitamins, minerals and several fatty acids due to which egg is considered as a nutritive food for the growing young ones. USDA compared the nutrients of the egg white versus the egg yolk, along with a comparison of the percentage of total nutrients found in the egg yolk and egg white, and reported that yolk contains 4.5 grams of total fat whereas egg white contains 6.3g of protein.
5) Myth: White feathered birds lay only white shelled eggs and multi-color feathered birds lay brown shelled eggs.
Fact: No, egg shell color mainly depends on the breed to which they belong. Mediterranean birds like White Leghorns and Minorca lay only white shelled eggs. Whereas, Araucana birds lay blue shelled eggs. There is no correlation between the color of the plumage and the color of the shell. Example: White Cornish birds lay brown shelled eggs. Black leghorns and Black Minorca birds lay white shelled eggs.
6) Myth: Nutritive value of the eggs laid by backyard chicken is superior over the eggs laid by birds reared under intensive system.
Fact: Research findings reveal that there exist differences in the chemical composition of the eggs laid by the backyard chicken. Solid smell is evinced in the eggs, due to the consumption of worms and insects by the birds while grazing. Intensity of the yolk color is darker, because of the pigments like carotenoids, leutein and xanthophyl which are derived from plant sources and grass while grazing. The above said fatty acids and pigments are also available to human beings by other sources. Based on the nutrient contents in eggs laid by the backyard and farm chicken no difference is observed among protein, fat, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Hence, there is no major difference between backyard chicken eggs and commercial table eggs in terms of nutritive value.
7) Myth: Consuming eggs increased blood cholesterol level.
Fact: Now a days cholesterol is always highlighted as bad for health but the fact is cholesterol is an essential compound for a healthier body. Cholesterol is synthesized by liver and sent all over the body via cell membrane present in the body. Bile juice is essential for digestion and cholesterol helps in the mechanism of producing bile juice and also helps in proper functioning of heart, liver, skin and nerves.300mg cholesterol is required per person per day for healthier a body. It is reported that on an average, one egg contains 210mg of cholesterol. Adding 3 eggs per day in food doesn’t change cholesterol levels in 70 percentage of people whereas, the remaining 30 percentage of people there is a slight change in blood cholesterol levels. Egg could serve as an unadulterated rich source of Omega-3 fatty acid. Eggs contain a high density of nutrients and are a good source of proteins, vitamins, and lipids of high quality such as phospho lipids and polyunsaturated fatty acids which are reported to reduce heart related diseases. In 1980’s a rumor doing the rounds among common public that, consuming egg is the reason for cardio -vascular diseases which has led to a reduction in egg consumption all over the world. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international level research, proved that consuming egg is good for human health. Moreover, British nutrition foundation has stated that, there is no evidence that consuming egg is a reason for cardiovascular diseases.
8) Myth: Are meat and egg laying chickens the same breed?
The meat and egg industries have different requirements, and use different breeds of bird.
The only eggs produced in the meat industry are those needed to produce the next generation of chickens.
Ross and Cobb birds are the two common commercial breeds selected for meat production.
The egg industry houses their hens quite differently and uses very different breeds of chickens, which are bred selectively over many generations to exhibit optimal egg producing characteristics.
The common breeds of laying hens in Australia are the Hyline Brown and the Isa Brown.
9) Myth:Why are some eggs white and others brown?
The colour of eggshells is the result of pigments being deposited during egg formation. The type of pigment depends upon the breed and is genetically determined.
To get a hint about the egg colour, look at the colour of the chicken’s ear lobes!
Interestingly, people have strong preferences for different egg shell colours in different markets. In Australia and parts of Asia, brown eggs are preferred, whereas in the US and Japan, people prefer white eggs.
The nutritional value of the egg only depends on the chickens’ diet, not the system of production or the colour of the egg shell.
For example, it has been shown that vitamin D-enhanced eggs can be produced if the diet is supplemented with high level of an active form of vitamin D.
Compiled & Shared by- Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)
Image-Courtesy-Google
Reference-On Request.
