Nutritional value of Egg Beaters compared with "farm fresh eggs"
Navidi, M.K.; Kummerow, F.A.
Pediatrics 53(4): 565-566
1974
ISSN/ISBN: 0031-4005 PMID: 4856709 Document Number: 71465
Egg Beaters is a commercial cholesterol-free egg substitute which, according to the label, contains egg white, maize oil, skimmed dried milk, emulsifiers, cellulose and xanthan gums, trisodium and triethyl citrate, artificial flavour, aluminium sulphate, iron phosphate, artificial colour, thiamin, riboflavin and vitamin D. Three groups of 6 lactating Sprague-Dawley rats and their 2- to 3-day-old young were fed to appetite on Purina laboratory chow or were transferred from chow to either shell eggs or Egg Beaters to which was added calcium acetate. Young of mothers fed on Egg Beaters averaged 31.6 g at 3 weeks of age compared with 66.5 g for those on whole egg and 70 g for those on chow. Mothers and young given Egg Beaters developed diarrhoea within 1 week. The young fed on the two egg mixtures were weaned at 5 weeks of age; all of those fed on Egg Beaters died within 3 to 4 weeks after weaning. The appearance of the rats fed on Egg Beaters indicated gross dietary deficiency; as the animals tended to become coated with food they were washed with mild detergent which also removed some of the hair.