The Nation Newspaper

Tag: eggs

  • Can you binge on eggs?

    Can you binge on eggs?

    An entirely different topic penned down for this week but a major discourse on egg consumption arose between panelists at a national fitness event in Lagos recently, and the outcome literally egged on this reporter, hence we settled for this menu being served here today!

    While some of them argued that the consumption of poultry eggs is ideal for children and body builders, two of the discussants however said egg consumption was good for all ages. There were also arguments on what quantity a person should consume.

    However, investigations have revealed that there is no specific number of eggs that a person should eat as part of a healthy diet. Some schools of thought however noted matter-of-factly that there may be some health benefits to eating a certain number of eggs, but more research into how many eggs a person should eat per day is necessary.

    Experts once considered eggs to be an unhealthy food source in terms of high cholesterol and heart problem concerns. The fact that egg yolk contains a high level of cholesterol was the primary cause of this belief.

    Healthcare professionals once thought that consuming cholesterol could significantly increase the levels of cholesterol in the body, which can increase the risk of heart disease.

    However, research has since shown that eggs do not increase the risk of heart disease.

    Cholesterol is a fatty substance that has a range of essential functions in the body. Its roles range from supporting the production of new cells and hormones to forming fat-dissolving bile acids and helping with the absorption of vitamins.

    Scientists now understand that the cholesterol that people consume from foods only has a small impact on cholesterol levels in the body.

    The majority of cholesterol production takes place in the liver. The main influencing factor for this is not how much cholesterol someone consumes but other factors, such as the amount of saturated fat in the diet.

    In the past, there was also a misunderstanding about the role of cholesterol in the body. However, more recent research has now challenged this as well.

    ‘Good’ and ‘bad’ cholesterol levels

    The way cholesterol moves through the bloodstream is relevant to the impact that it can have. Either low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or high-density lipoproteins (HDL) transport cholesterol.

    HDL is responsible for collecting cholesterol that is no longer needed, and LDL transports cholesterol to areas where it is needed.

    Unusually high levels of LDL cholesterol are typically unhealthy because they can build up and cause clogging in the arteries. This buildup of cholesterol can increase the risk of heart attack.

    Many people consider HDL cholesterol to be “healthier” than LDL cholesterol, as it plays a role in removing cholesterol from the body.

    An improved understanding of how cholesterol works in the body means that it is now unclear whether high levels of cholesterol are always unhealthy.

    For example, one recent review of existing studies found no significant link between dietary cholesterol and heart disease. However, a high daily consumption of eggs was associated with a higher incidence of heart disease.

    How much cholesterol do eggs contain?

    The American Heart Association (AHA) Trusted Source claims that one large egg contains 186 milligrams of dietary cholesterol.

    Read Also: Poultry farmers, suppliers, retailers lament rise in price of eggs

    The Dietary Guidelines for Americans Trusted Source recommend that people aim to keep their cholesterol intake as low as possible while maintaining a balanced diet.

    Although eggs may contain a relatively high amount of cholesterol, they do not have a major impact on overall cholesterol levels.

    Egg whites do not contain Trusted Source any cholesterol, so they may be the healthier option.

    Benefits of eggs

    Eggs are highly nutritious sources of protein. They contain a range of vitamins and minerals, including: vitamin A, vitamin B and B12, vitamin D, iodine, folate.

    Eggs are affordable and easily includable in the diet. A good way to consume eggs is boiled or poached without salt.

    Eggs enriched with omega-3 and sourced from free-range farms tend to be the healthiest eggs.

    Eating one to three eggs per day can have several health benefits, but this varies from person to person. At this level of consumption, people can expect minimal changes in their cholesterol levels.

    It is unclear whether there is an upper limit on how many eggs a person can eat per day. More research in this area is necessary to provide clarity.

    However, when people have no health issues causing concern, they can eat eggs in moderate quantities, and they are unlikely to have any effects on their bodily cholesterol levels.

    Studies have consistently shown that consuming eggs does not increase the risk of heart disease in participants from the United States.

    Unless a doctor specifically advises, it is not necessary for people with high cholesterol or those at risk of heart disease to avoid eating eggs.

    Eggs were once a controversial choice due to concerns about saturated fats and cholesterol, but researchers have since proved that eggs have a number of dietary benefits. However, the way a person cooks an egg slightly alters its nutritional provisions also.

  • Lagos consumes 20 million eggs daily

    Lagos Commissioner for Agriculture, Honourable Oluwatoyin Suarau said the state consumes 20 million eggs daily, one of the largest in the country.

    He made the disclosure during a one day sensitisation workshop in Lagos on Thursday on Agro-Processing, Agricultural Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project, a Federal Government/World Bank agricultural initiative aimed at improving agricultural productivity of small and medium scale (SMEs) commercial farmers.

    Lagos, Kano, Cross River, Kogi and Enugu states have benefitted from the $200 million appeals project of the World Bank Agro intervention.

    Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Olayiwole Onasanya, the Commissioner said poultry meat consumption in the state is also on the rise, adding the state intends to double production within the next six years of APPEALS Project in Lagos.

    Suarau said Lagos is overhauling production of poultry, to enable farmers raising hens for eggs shift from backyards to commercial farms and modern standardised processes.

    According to him, the project is s to enhance agricultural productivity of small and medium scale farmers and improve value addition along priority value chains that are poultry, aquaculture and rice for Lagos State.

    Read Also: Imo guber: we’ve made alarming discoveries – Nwosu

    This, he added, will be achieved through supporting farmers’ productivity and their linkage to markets.

    To enable the state access the fund, the Commissioner said the government has paid part of its counterpart fund contribution.

    The State Project Coordinator, APPEALS, Mrs. Oluranti Oviebo, said the project relies on strategic alliances with partners to provide better life opportunities for women and youths.

    According to her, the project will tackle key constraints of the agriculture sector, such as low productivity, lack of seed funds for establishing agro-processing plants, lack of access to supportive infrastructure, and low level of technology adoption and limited access to markets.

    She added that the project targets 10,000 direct beneficiaries and 50, 000 indirect beneficiaries.

    She assured that 35 per cent of the beneficiaries will be women, saying that 5 – 10 of the beneficiaries will be people with disabilities.

  • Farmer docked for stealing chickens, eggs

    For stealing chickens and eggs from his neighbor’s poultry, a 31-year-old farmer, Samuel Asam, is to spend the next two months in prison.

    An Epe Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State handed down the sentence to Asam on Thursday.

    The Magistrate, Mrs O.A. Fowowe-Erusiafe, however, gave the convict an option to do 40 hours of community service.

    Asam, a resident of Igbojia village in Ibeju-Lekki, near Lagos was convicted on a two-count charge, bordering on breaking and entering and theft.

    He was accused of stealing chickens and eggs worth N527, 600 from his neighbor’s poultry.

    The convict had admitted committing the offences and begged the court to tamper justice with mercy, saying that he did not know what came over him.

    Read Also: 28 jobless youths become poultry farmers in Bayelsa

    Police prosecutor Sgt. Moses Oyekanmi had earlier told the court that one Tosin Fadayemi of Igbojia village had on June 2, reported incident of theft at his poultry.

    Oyekanmi said that Asam had stolen 120 broilers, valued at N420, 000; 17 cockerels, valued at N51, 000; five red cocks, valued at N17, 500 and 46 crates of eggs, valued at N39, 100.

    He said that during police investigation, Asam had confessed to the crime but that the police was however, unable to recover all the stolen items from the convict.

    The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Sections 287 and 308 (2) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

  • Egg intake doesn’t cause heart attack – PAN

    Egg intake doesn’t cause heart attack – PAN

    The Director General of Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Onallo Akpa has denied claims that egg consumption causes or increase chances of heart attack (cardiovascular disease).

    He said on the contrary, the right intake of egg builds human immune system and increases cognitive capability in children.

    Akpa, who spoke at the world press briefing to commemorate the World Egg Day, organized by the association, yesterday in Abuja, faulted the various claims, stressing that beyond other benefits, moderate consumption of egg helps the eye, the skin, bones as well as pregnant women and their unborn children.

    He argued that studies by the American Heart Association as well as Harvard School of Public Health further enlightened the public on the benefits and disapproved the erroneous claims.

    “Egg does not contribute to cardiovascular disease. Let’s not believe in those misconceptions.

    “In March, 2002, the American Heart Association guidelines were changed to allow 1 egg per day into the average healthy American diet thereby ending the association’s 30 years old campaign that limited egg consumption to 3 eggs per week,” Akpa said.

    He added that, “The Harvard School of Public Health, in the same light published that moderate egg consumption, which is defined as one egg per day is not associated with increased risk of heart disease and does not have a negative impact on cholesterol neither does it affect a person’s lipid profile.

    “The research finding suggests that it is saturated fat that raises cholesterol rather than dietary cholesterol.”

    However, he advised the Federal Government to direct the ministry of education on need to ensure school children benefitting from the federal government school feeding programme are fed with one egg per day, without unnecessary additional food item.

    Akpa emphasized the imperative of this advice, stressing the nutritional benefits of the children.

    “The nutrients and energy dimension of egg makes egg an excellent source of proteins and vitamins,” he added.

    In her remarks, a nutritionist from the National Hospital, Abuja, Department of Dietetics, Mrs. Sarah Abagai, expressed concerns on the unfavourable statistics of malnourished children in the country.

    She said as at January this year, about 11 million children were classified stunted as a result of protein deficiency.

    According to her, the statistics increased in July, 2017, revealing that in every three Nigerians, one is malnourished.

    She attributed this to low purchasing power and access to good protein sources.

    “The first 1000 days of a child from conception to delivery to about two years of age is very critical to a child upbringing. There is need to provide adequate nutrition at this stage,” Abagai added.

  • Eggs: Price war rages

    Eggs: Price war rages

    Most consumers had hoped that with the current influx of poultry eggs into the market, the price of the commodity would have dropped but, regretfully, the price remains the same.

    Though poultry farmers are being forced by the egg wholesalers to sell at cheaper price to them because of low demand, some of the farmers have voiced out their displeasure that the slight reduction in the price is not being felt by the end users while some farmers said it may be due to the challenges in the distribution chain.

    Describing the current situation in the egg industry, Mr. Odinaka Okpala, a poultry farmer, said, “It is the buyers’ market. The wholesalers arm twist us to sell at their price conveniently, forgetting that we have to pay staff, buy feed, vaccine and other expenses, still the reduction in price does not transcend to the consumers.”

    Explaining in a telephone interview, Okpala, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Narrow Gate Farms with head office at Ikorodu town, said that currently he sells a crate of the largest size of eggs, called ‘Jumbo’, for about N950.00 as against N1000.

    A crate of the slightly above medium size egg sells for N850 while a crate of the medium size egg goes for N700 as against N750.”  He also explained that the small size egg which before was sold for N650 now sells for N600.

    However, retailers are still selling at the same price before the egg glut. Investigations revealed that a crate of the jumbo egg sells for between N1,200 and N1,300 while the slightly above medium size is selling for N1,000-N1,100. End users buy a crate of the small eggs for N800-N850.

    Lamenting about the situation, Okpala said that this period is the worst he has seen since he went into poultry farming.

    “Most farmers are crying now. They are under great pressure. In as much as they have to push the eggs out into the already saturated market, they cannot afford to sell at complete loss because of the expenses of running the farm but they cannot afford to keep the eggs because under the right condition, after three weeks, the eggs start to go off.”

    The Plateau State chairman of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) recently appealed to the government to intervene and mop up the surplus eggs from the farmers.

    Mr. John Dasar, chairman of the association, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, that the price of egg had been on a steady decline while the price of chicken feeds has been on the increase making poultry farming an unfruitful venture.

    What could have caused the egg glut? questioned the reporter. Proffering answers, the CEO of Narrow Gate farms said it could be as a result of many reasons, ranging from the demand of layers during the Christmas to the current economic situation in the country.

    Expounding, he said that usually by this time, there is always a glut in the market. “One reason is that consumers demand for layers during the Christmas season and after that farmers stock old day chicks to replenish their farm. The young birds mature almost at the same time from March to April to start laying eggs almost at the same time, resulting in supply surpassing demand.

    “Another reason is that when students go on holidays, the demand for poultry eggs reduces. Many schools get daily huge supply of eggs from farmers and when they are on holidays, this no longer happens.”

    Adding to what Okpala said, Dr. Paul Akintoye added that the low purchasing power of Nigerians has also made the situation worse. “Most families no longer make egg meals priority in their meal time table.”

    Speaking in a telephone interview, the poultry farmer who is based in Ogun State said that wholesalers are not demanding eggs as they have not been able to sell their old stock.

    Further investigations revealed that farmers are now slaughtering their layers for sale. Confirming that, Okpala noted there was no point in keeping layers when one cannot sell the eggs.

    He said that one of the moves adopted by farmers to curtail the influx was to reduce the number of layers in their farms.

    Meanwhile, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has advised poultry farmers across the country to channel their energies towards increased production of egg powder  as one of the ways out of the current glut in the egg market.

    Follow us on Facebook, Consumerwatch-The Nation and also on twitter; jillokeke@twitter

  • Group aims for Group aims for self-sufficiency in poultry, eggs

    Tuns Group, a leader in the agricultural and agro-allied industry, has said it is working to reduce imports of poultry and eggs and achieve food self-sufficiency.

    It said its investment in the Osun State poultry  industry  would boost job creation and help the country achieve self-sufficiency in white meat.

    The group said it was expanding its chicken farm to boost the quantity of poultry produced in the country. The site has facilities, including a large unit dedicated to broiler breeding – fast-growing breeds of chicken raised for their meat.

    There are poultry farms, hatchery poultry farms, a slaughter house and a section for processing poultry products.The processing plant manager, Olawoye Olumide, said the new facility would increase the company’s capacity by over 100 per cent of its production.

    According to him, the exercise would lead to a reduction in the processing time, increase the number of chicken processed to 20,000 birds per day as well as reduce the blast freezing time from about eight hours to two hours.

    “We have an installed processing capacity of 15,000 birds per day. By the time we are through with our planned overhaul, this will increase to 20,000 per day,” he added.

  • ‘Why eggs are in high demand’

    ‘Why eggs are in high demand’

    Trading in eggs is one area grossly underestimated. It has more opportunities to offer than it is viewed. The reason for this is not far-fetched as this desired meal does not appeal only to the baking class, but has a wider consumer outreach evolving around hair dressers, an average person and even traditionalists.

    Poultry owners and egg depot managers have testified to the lucrative business of egg selling. Mr Olaonipekun Tunde, owner of TUNKEM agro services enterprises told The Nation that in the past decade, he has been trading in the business. “I produce up to a thousand crates daily and I distribute twice in a week which is Monday and Thursday,” he said.

    Regular customers of egg include Chefs or Bakers, because the product is a major ingredient in most pastries, dough and meals as it is a convenient and efficient raising agent making them shop for eggs in their large quantities. It also gives fluffiness to cakes, doughnut and the likes. A cake baker, Miss Olayinka Oluwatimilehin said: “Eggs are very important in cake making because I use them in making the cake itself and in making royal icing. Without them, any cake will be very hard and my royal icing will not dry up. That is why I buy them in bulk.”

    Also, the compatibility of egg with meals is another reason for its demand as it can be enjoyed with moi-moi, bread, rice, indomie by people of all ages most especially children and youths. It can also be made into Egg custard, milk shake, Egg pasta and so on. Most travellers enjoy eating it boiled as a snack, thereby patronising highway egg sellers. It can be further relished in different forms as it can be eaten poached, scrambled, omelette and so on.

    Hairdressers also use it for hair treatment when mixed with some other ingredients in order to steam hair to prevent and reduce hair breakage. Mrs Badmus favour, an hairdresser said, “when I want to treat hair most especially natural hair, I use egg mixed with shea-butter, honey, milk and olive oil. The egg is important because it helps to make the hair firm.” Traditionalists also use egg as a sacrifice ingredient to their gods.

    Egg’s diversity does not stop at the egg white or yoke but the shell is also important. The egg shell can be used in different ways like chicken and bird feed, first aid treatment, pan scrubber, cosmetic boaster, pest deterrent in gardens, boasts calcium in tomatoes, gives radiant skin, reduce bitterness in coffee and so many other uses.

    The fact that eggs are cheap and affordable by people of all class has also made it one best-selling staple food. They come in various prices depending on their sizes. From the poultry, they are sold in three prices .They can be priced as N400, N550 and N600. For retail price, they are sold at N25 or N30 per egg. In bulk, a crate is sold for N700 or N650 while half crate sells at N350 or N330. They can be purchased from any poultry farm, egg depot or stores close to you. Most individuals even sell from their cars or at home. They can also be gotten on the high-way to serve travellers.

    All these gives reason to shop for egg from time to time in both small and large quantities making it one of the best-selling staple foods in the market.

    Even though it seems to be all good for egg sellers, some negative factors like bad road amidst all others affect their profit level due to egg’s fragility.

    The vulnerability of egg to the slightest bumps, pot holes has made bad roads to be bad for business. It is therefore pertinent that all bad roads are repaired for egg business to continue to strive in Nigeria.

     

     

  • Experts condemn importation of chicken, eggs

    Agriculture experts have condemned the importation of chicken and eggs into Nigeria, urging the government at all levels to integrate rural women and youths into the poultry business.

    One of them, Prof. Funso Sonaiya,  a lecturer in the Department of Animal Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, who spoke at the launch of African Chicken Genetic Gains (ACGG) in Nigeria, described the training and empowerment of rural dwellers as the best way of reducing poverty and improve food production.

    Delivering a paper on “Chicken Genetics Resources and Sustainable Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria, he said: “A few chickens can be a step towards food security and poverty eradication in the rural areas”.

    The Director, Biotech Centre, Federal University of Agriculture (FUNAAB), Abeokuta, Prof. Funmi Adebambo, explained that the project was aimed at the economic empowerment and improved health and nutrition of the rural dwellers.

    She said: “Over 70 per cent of Nigerians living in the rural area covered by this definition of rural poor and who in 2001 were found to have contributed over 0.8 million tonnes of meat and 1.1 million tonnes in 2004 from over 117.3 million indigenous chicken in 2001 and 144.2 million in 2004 are still being neglected, rendered voiceless and left to their fate in abject poverty.”

    She noted that the launching of ACGG programme would fashion the pathway for innovative and strategic integration of millions of Nigerians made up of women and youths into the poultry value chain.

     

  • Nest eggs

    •Getting pensions right is a matter of will  

    Aviable, efficient and sustainable pensions’ scheme is an indispensable feature of a modern economy. Not only are pensions a significant form of social security for large numbers of vulnerable people, they provide a humongous pool of investible funds that boost economic growth and prosperity. An efficient pensions’ scheme also enhances motivation of workers in their active years, thereby improving national productivity.

    It is because of its significance as a catalyst of national development that the absence of a functional, organised and effective pensions’ scheme had for decades been a key obstacle to the realisation of Nigeria’s transformational objectives. There are however promising indications that our once dysfunctional pensions’ scheme is systematically being modernised and sanitised with positive results. Years of reforms such as the Pension Reform Act No. 2 of 2004 and the Pension Reform Amendment Act of 2011, which have been consolidated in the 2014 Pension Reform Act, are obviously beginning to bear fruit.

    An indication to this effect is the report that Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) have paid N17.96 billion to 4,119 workers who lost their jobs this year. The money refunded to the sacked workers represents 25% of their contributions to the Contributory Pension Scheme of the PFAs when they were in service as required by the law.

    The purpose of this provision is to enable workers have some funds to live on or invest in business before they secure new jobs and sources of income. It is noteworthy that this succour for the affected workers was made possible because of innovations in the 2014 Pension Reform Act that addressed weaknesses in previous laws. For instance, the previous law required a sacked employee to wait until he or she could not get a new job for six months before accessing 25 percent of his pension contributions. Under the new law, the waiting period was reduced to four months to ameliorate the plight of workers.

    Again, previously sacked employees had to produce evidence of dismissal by employers before being qualified to withdraw part of their pension savings before getting a new job. Consequently, a worker who was forced to resign from work could naturally not produce a sack letter and was unable to claim this right. However, the new law expands the scope of those who can benefit to include workers who are sacked, voluntarily retire, resign or disengage from employment. Furthermore, when sacked workers get a new job, they can go back to their PFAs for the application of the appropriate retirement benefit approach.

    It is also significant that the PFAs were able to pay the affected workers their dues promptly within the requisite time frame. This is an indication that the pension funds in their care are being efficiently and professionally managed. Thus, one of the objectives of the pension reforms, which is to ensure that contributions and investments made with pension funds are protected against risks and abuses by managers is being realised.

    To this end, the law provides for the initiation of criminal proceedings and appropriate sanctions against both employers who fail to deduct or remit pensions contributions and PFAs that engage in unethical practices. All too often we have had cases of financial institutions squandering funds put in their trust and bringing millions of unsuspecting depositors to ruin.

    The progress recorded in pensions management and administration shows that reforms can indeed achieve their stated goals in Nigeria where there is the will to see them through. We commend and urge all stakeholders to continue to work towards strengthening and institutionalising the pension reforms to make them sustainable and irreversible.

  • Julius Berger to pay $32m to US for corruption in Nigeria

    Julius Berger to pay $32m to US for corruption in Nigeria

    Bilfinger SE, the German parent company of the construction company, Julius Berger, has reached a Deferred Prosecution Agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to pay $32 million as fine for involvement in corruption in Nigeria.

    The company was said to have given bribes totalling $6 million to Nigerian government officials for the purpose of obtaining and retaining contracts for the $387 million Eastern Gas Gathering System (EGGS) project.

    The US Justice Department said that the bribes were delivered between 2003 and June 2005 by Bilfinger in connivance with Willbros Group Inc. and others.

    Bilfinger and Willbros are accused of having formed a joint venture to bid on the EGGS project and inflated the price of the joint venture’s bid by 3% to cover the cost of paying the bribes.

    “At another point in the conspiracy, when Willbros employees encountered difficulty obtaining enough money to make their share of the bribe payments, Bilfinger loaned them $1 million,” the US Justice Department said.

    Bilfinger pledged to implement rigorous internal controls, continue cooperating fully with the Justice Department, and retain an independent corporate compliance monitor for at least 18 months under the 3-year deferred agreement.

    The Chief Executive Officer of Bilfinger SE, Roland Koch, said: “We are pleased that we have now been able to put these events from the distant past behind us. In recent years, Bilfinger has consistently expanded its compliance instruments and today has a modern and efficient system.”

    The Department of Justice in its statement “acknowledged Bilfinger’s cooperation and its remediation efforts.”

    In a separate statement, Bilfinger SE said it had significantly reduced its investments in Julius Berger Nigeria PLC (JBN) in 2012, in tandem with the scope of its strategic alignment toward engineering and services. Already the company has reduced its stake in the Nigerian business from 49% to approximately 33%.