Method for the iodine fortification of eggs

Abstract: This invention relates to the method of non-invasively fortifying eggs with iodine as a dietary supplement without compromising the structural integrity of the egg. The eggs are placed in a solution comprising iodide or iodate salts of alkali or alkali earth metals at an effective concentration for a duration of between a few seconds to a few days. Iodine then passes through the egg shell to the interior of the egg until an adequate internal iodine concentration of iodide or iodate salts is produced.

Description: This invention relates to the fortification of eggs with iodine as a dietary supplement by contacting the eggs with a bathing solution having iodine and/or iodate ions in suspension, allowing the iodine to pass through the egg shell to the interior of the egg until an adequate internal iodine concentration of iodide or iodate salts is produced. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known that iodine is a dietary requirement for humans. Failure to obtain adequate amounts of iodine (typically less than 150 micrograms per day and especially less than 50 micrograms per day) may result in endemic goiter, with accompanying mental retardation in children. Seafood is a rich source of iodine. Consequently, people in areas far from the sea are encouraged to supplement their diet with about 400 micrograms of iodine per day. This may be in the form of 0.002% to 0.01% iodized table salt. Ingestion of iodine via iodized salt has the advantage of providing a roughly equal dosages of iodine to all members of a population. The prolonged heating of certain dishes, however, may reduce iodide and iodate ions to yield iodine. Iodine then may be lost by evaporation and sublimation. In Trampel, (U.S. Patent No. 4,928,629) a method is disclosed for inoculating soluble materials into an egg. The method involves removal of at least a portion of the egg's cuticle and then forcing the soluble materials with a pump to penetrate through the pores in the egg shell. This method involves special positive pressure pumps and does not seem suitable for use with large scale batches of eggs. CN1076596 discloses immersing eggs in a liquid containing e.g. 4.5 - 5.0 % potassium hydroxide, potassium iodide, providing preserved eggs rich in iodine. In Ishikawa and Kamimae, (U.S. Patent Nos. 4,187,294, 4,394,376, and 4,410,541) iodine-fortified poultry eggs are made by feeding the birds with a prepared feed that contains high levels of iodine. This method has a disadvantage that it requires access to the feed, which makes this method impossible for eggs already obtained from a commercial farm. In other parts of the world, eggs have been preserved in alkali by coating the egg with a composition comprising principally of wood ash and rice husk. After a few weeks, the white of the egg turns into black, jelly-like substance and the egg yolk also turns dark with a characteristic smell of ammonia. In addition, eggs have been preserved by table salt (sodium chloride) since ancient times. After a few weeks of pickling in brine, the salt would penetrate across the egg shall into the egg, making the egg, especially the egg white, taste salty. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the method of fortifying eggs, especially avian eggs, with iodine. Eggs are dipped in a bathing composition or solution having a pH of 5 to 7.5, comprising iodide or iodate salts of alkali or alkali earth metals at an effective concentration for a duration of between a few seconds to a few days, in order to produce an adequate internal iodine concentration of iodide or iodate salts. The iodine fortified eggs may then be considered a dietary supplement for humans or animals. This method provides the surprising result that the iodine is found to concentrate in the egg yolk as opposed to the albumen. This may be useful in the subsequent preparation of food where only the egg yolk is used, for example as an emulsifying agent in salad dressings. It is a preferred object of this invention to provide a heat-stable vehicle for iodine oral administration. The fact that iodine is found to concentrate in the yolk makes it more difficult for iodine to leave the egg during cooking. It is a preferred object of this invention to provide a dietary supplement comprising iodine without added sodium chloride, thus being suitable for people who, for personal, medical, or cultural reasons, prefer to be on low salt diet. Another object of the invention is to provide methods where iodide or iodate salts of alkali or alkali earth metals may penetrate the pores of egg shells without breaking the egg shells. The eggs that have gone through this procedure will be indistinguishable by consumers from untreated eggs. Yet another added benefit of the invention is that several types of microorganisms that exist on the egg cuticle, which are susceptible to iodide or iodate salts of alkali or alkali earth metal at the concentrations used, will be eliminated. Lowering the number and types of microorganisms on the egg cuticle should help lengthen the shelf life of the treated egg. Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 illustrates an egg placed in a solution containing iodine or iodate ions; and Fig. 2 illustrates an egg being fortified with iodate ions drawn to the egg by an electric field. Referring to Fig. 1, eggs are non-invasively fortified with iodine as a dietary supplement without compromising the structural integrity of the egg. The eggs E are placed in a solution S with container C comprising iodide or iodate salts of alkali or alkali earth metals at an effective concentration for a duration of between a few seconds to a few days. Iodine then passes through the egg shell to the interior of the egg until an adequate internal iodine concentration of iodide or iodate salts is produced. The pH of the solution is between 5 and 7.5. In addition, the temperature of the soluton is preferably maintained between 1 and 40 degrees Celsius, more preferably between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius. The solution preferably includes iodized table salt (containing 0.002% to 0.02% equivalent iodine) and added water. The treatment may last for at least 30 seconds, 5 minutes, half an hour, an hour or24 hours. The iodine-containing ionic species may be in a composition consisting of aqueous solution of iodide (I - ) or iodate (IO 3 - ) salt of alkali or alkali earth metals, for example, potassium iodide or potassium iodate. The iodine-containing ionic species generated and passed through the egg's cuticle and shell seem to have high affinity for the albumen and even higher affinity for the phospholipids in the egg yolk. Migration of iodine-containing ions through the cuticle, the porous shell, and the vitelline membrane may be influenced by one or more of the following factors: the concentration gradient of the iodine-containing ions, the osmotic pressure difference between different compartments, the thermodynamic activity of such ions, the pH difference between different compartments, the temperature of the egg and the surrounding composition, and other physical and chemical properties of iodine-containing ionic species. Alternatively, iodide or iodate ions, which are both negative ionic species, may be induced to travel through the egg shell under the influence of a suitable electric field. The iodine penetration process, whether performed by concentration gradient or by ionic movement under an electric field, is allowed to continue until adequate levels of iodine (e.g. iodate) have entered the egg. Suitable minimum levels of iodine achieved in the yolk may be 100, 250, 500 or 1000µg. The example below is set forth to illustrate this invention. EXAMPLES: Fresh eggs are bathed in slightly acidic pH buffered, potassium iodate solutions. The method may take from a few seconds up to a few days depending on the concentration of iodine required to enter the eggs. In a typical preparation, using 50% potassium iodate (KIO 3 ) in the bathing solution buffered with a phosphate buffer at pH 6.5 and room temperature, iodine was detected in egg yolk by the Hurtly's modification or von Fellenberg's procedure as follows: Bathing Time Microgram iodine detected in yolk per 1 egg 10 seconds 53 20 seconds 60 30 seconds 100 5 minutes 250 24 hours 1,400 It will be observed that we fortify eggs without adding salt. Unlike the prior art technique of immersing eggs in salt, the iodine fortified eggs here are visually not distinguishable from regular eggs. This is an important marketing advantage to the use of this technique.

Claims: A method of non-invasively fortifying eggs, wherein each egg includes a surrounding shell, an albumen and at least one yolk, the egg being fortified with iodine without compromising the structural integrity of the egg, the method comprising the steps of: providing an egg having a surrounding shell, an albumen and at least one yolk; providing a solution having ions containing iodine in suspension, the pH of the solution being between 5 and 7.5; and, contacting the egg shell with the solution having ions containing iodine in suspension for a sufficient interval of time to cause iodine to enter through the shell into the egg. A method of non-invasively fortifying eggs according to claim 1 further including the step of: opening the egg and separating out the yolk. A method of non-invasively fortifying eggs according to claim 1 further including the step of: opening the egg and separating out the albumen. The method in anyone of Claims 1 to 3 wherein temperature of the solution is maintained between 1 and 40 degrees Celsius. The method of claim 4 wherein temperature of the solution is maintained between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius. The method in anyone of Claims 1 to 5 where the solution includes iodized table salt, containing 0.002% to 0.02% equivalent iodine, and added water. The method of anyone of claims 1 to 6 wherein the ions containing iodine are iodine ions. The method of anyone of claims 1 to 6 wherein the ions containing iodine are iodate ions. The method of anyone of claims 1 to 8 and wherein the ions containing iodine are drawn to the egg by an electric field. The method of anyone of claims 1 to 8 and wherein the ions containing iodine are drawn to the egg by a magnetic field. A method of making a dietary supplement with iodine comprising the steps of: providing an egg having a surrounding shell, an albumen and at least one yolk; providing a solution having ions containing iodine in suspension, the pH of the solution being between 5 and 7.5; and, contacting the egg shell with the solution having ions containing iodine in suspension for a sufficient interval of time to cause iodine to enter through the shell into the albumen or yolk of the egg or combination thereof. A method according to claim 11 further comprising the steps of: opening the egg and separating out the yolk. A method according to claim 11 further comprising the steps of: cooking the egg.

Inventors: LIMAHKSOHN ANUSIG, SINAWAT SANGSOM, SUVANPRAKORN PICHIT, TANASUGARN LERSON, VUTHIPONGSE PRAKROM, LIMAHKSOHN, ANUSIG, SINAWAT, SANGSOM, SUVANPRAKORN, PICHIT, TANASUGARN, LERSON, VUTHIPONGSE, PRAKROM
Applicants: BIOPHILE CORP, BIOPHILE CORPORATION
Application year: 1999
Main classification: A23L1
IPC codes: A23L1