The benefits
One of the most obvious advantages of egg powders is their price: 1 ton of egg albumen powder equals 10 tons of frozen egg albumen (just think of the transport costs and storage space). Egg powders are also easy to store (no need for refrigeration, all you need is a dry place). Then there is the long shelf life: if well stored, egg powders can have a shelf life of 18 months, and if properly sealed, 5 to 10 years. They are also extremely easy to use: all you have to do is add water, which results in less handling and less needless energy consumption. Moreover, they are bacteriologically pure, and can be controlled and analysed before purchase.
The following comparison with shell eggs illustrates the benefits of egg powder:
- 1 kilogram of egg albumen powder = 272 shell eggs
- 1 kilogram of whole egg powder = 80 shell eggs
- 1 kilogram of egg yolk powder = 110 shell eggs
The use of instant egg powders brings to light other advantages. Due to better re-dispersion, instant powders rehydrate easily. Moreover in contrast to regular powders, they produce no lumps. And thanks to particle size granulation, no dust residue forms.