## 4 Discussion
### The Nutritional Composition of Dried Egg Components W, M1:3, and WE5%  
From the WSI results shown in Table 3, three mixtures of egg powder with high WSIs were selected (W, M1:3, and WE5%) due to their ease of reconstitution in water. The nutritional composition and functional properties of the selected products were analyzed. In accordance with the results reported in Table 5, moisture content fell below those limits established by the Colombian Technical Standard NTC 6116 for dried egg whites and dried whole eggs, with values of \(\leq\)8% and \(\leq\)5%, respectively [16]. According to the results in Table 5, protein content was highest in egg component W, at 80.48 g/100 g, close to the 79.34 g/100 g value reported by [PERSON], et al. [8] at drying temperatures in the range of 110-125 \({}^{\circ}\)C, and with a feeding flow of 3.30-5.00 mL/min, these conditions being quite similar to those used for drying egg whites in this investigation. Egg product W has a higher protein content than egg products M1:3 and WE5% because W is composed of egg white, which contains a high proportion of ovalbumin (54%) and other ovoproteins [31] Additionally, the W egg component meets the bromatological requirements specified for protein content in the Colombian Technical Standard NTC 6116, or 78.0-83.0 g/100 g [16]. The WES% egg product, with 39.4% carbohydrates, had a protein content of 39.92 g/100 g. This value for protein is slightly higher than that of 38.4 g/100 g, reported by OVODAN [32] for whole eggs in powder with 20% sucrose. Depending on the product application, whole egg powder with 10-40% carbohydrates may be found available commercially [14]. The highest carbohydrate content was in WE5%, with a value of 39.42 g/100 g sample, which is due to the added sucrose. The values for W and M1:3 were 8.19 g/100 g and 4.45 g/100 g, respectively, neither of which had added sucrose. The carbohydrate content in these egg products is represented principally by the free glucose found in the liquid egg white (0.34 g/100 g), although traces of fructose, lactose, maltose, and galactose were also detected in egg whites and yolks [33; 34], which were found in lower proportions in M1:3. M1:3 had the highest fat content, with a value of 29.61 g/100 g, and the lowest carbohydrate content, with an average value of 4.45 g/100 g. This result for fat content is considered low compared to 36.1 g of fat/100 g for dried whole egg, as reported by [PERSON], et al. [30], and 39.2 g/100 g, as reported by [PERSON] [35], which can be explained because the experimental liquid egg M1:3 contained 25% of egg yolk, while liquid whole egg contained 32-40%, fat being the main component of egg yolk solids. The egg product WE5% contained 13.18 g/100 g of fat, 39.92 g/100 g of protein, and the highest carbohydrate content at a value of 39.42 g/100 g, which explains the lower proportion of fat compared to that in egg product M1:3. [PERSON], et al. [8] reported traces of fat in egg white powders, which accounts for the low content of fat in egg product W, with a value of 1.21 g/100 g. The cholesterol content found in WE5%, M1:3, and W was 518.36 mg/100 g, 553.41 mg/100 g, and 5.62 mg/100 g, respectively. Many years ago, the cholesterol contained in egg yolks was concerning, due to cholesterol's association with specific health problems. However, more recently, studies have indicated that dietary cholesterol has only a limited effect on those health problems [33; 36]. The highest ash content was found in W, with a value of 5.61 g/100 g, in agreement with that reported by [PERSON], et al. [8], of 5.69 g/100 g. The ash value found in M1:3 was 4.17 g/100 g, and, in WE5%, 2.69 g/100 g. The latter value is inferior to that reported for whole eggs by [PERSON], et al. [8], of 6.13 g/100 g, and [PERSON]'s [35] of 3.4 g/100 g, which is due, of course, to the sucrose content in WE5%, which affects the relative mineral concentrations.