Effect of grass–clover forage and whole-wheat feeding on the sensory quality of eggs

Summary

BACKGROUND: A sensory panel evaluated the sensory profile of eggs from hens from three experimental systems: (1) an indoor system × normal layer diet (InL), (2) a grass–clover forage system × normal layer diet (GrL), and (3) a grass–clover forage system × whole wheat and oyster shells (GrW).
RESULTS: The taste of the albumen was significantly more ‘watery’ and the yolks a darker yellow/orange in the eggs from the GrL and GrW groups. The yolk was darkest from the GrW group. The yolks from the InL and GrW groups had a significantly more ‘fresh’, less ‘animal’, ‘cardboard’, and ‘intense’ aroma than the GrL group. The taste of the yolks from the InL and GrW groups was significantlymore ‘fresh’ and less ‘cardboard’-like compared to the GrL group. The yolks tasted significantly less ‘sulfurous’ in the GrW group than in the GrL group.
CONCLUSION: The combination of a high feed intake from a grass–clover pasture and the type of feed allocated is an important factor in relation to the sensory quality of eggs. Thus, a less favourable sensory profile of eggs was found from hens on a grass–clover pasture and fed a normal layer diet.