Chook Trader Australia

Scientists now have the solution to a long-standing egg riddle — and it could lower your chances of food poisoning.
Key points:

Shells contains nanostructured minerals associated with the protein osteopontin, also found in bone
The structure of the egg changes as the embryo develops
Finding could help breed chickens for stronger eggs, preventing salmonella contamination

Researchers from Canada’s McGill University have cracked the mystery of how avian (and formerly dinosaur) eggshells are simultaneously strong enough to resist fracture from the outside yet weak enough for chicks to break from the inside.

It has to do with minute changes in the shell’s nanostructure that occur during egg incubation.

Domestic chicken egg shells are about 95 per cent calcium-carbonate but the remaining 5 per cent includes a protein called osteopontin, according to the study published in Science Advances.

The protein was originally discovered in bone.

Dimitra Athanasiadou, a graduate student and lead author on the new study, found that a nanostructured mineral associated with osteopontin helps determine shell strength.

Changes in the nanostructure both help the chick grow and allow it to escape the shell later on.

During incubation the inside of the shell dissolves to give the developing embryo the calcium it needs to form its skeleton.

At the same time, the process weakens the shell just enough for the chick to break through when it hatches.
Discovery paves way for stronger eggs

The new understanding could lead to changes in the egg industry.

Professor Marc McKee, who led the study, said all the same nutritious things in eggs that help chick embryos to grow also make for a “very fertile growth field for pathogens”.

“Most of all of us know about salmonella bacteria, which can cause food poisoning. It’s a major problem in the egg industry where cracked eggshells or broken eggs will allow entry into the egg and cause food poisoning,” he said

About 10-20 per cent of chicken eggs break or crack, he said.

“Once we know how to analyse nanostructure in eggs and what it means in terms of function … and how they contribute to hardness, then the egg industry for example can use that information to genetically select for strains of chickens that consistently produce stronger eggs.”

The fragility of eggshells meant that new techniques and new equipment had to be used to prepare samples for study.

“Eggshells are notoriously difficult to study by traditional means, because they easily break when we try to make a thin slice for imaging by electron microscopy,” Professor McKee said.

The cooked chook might be a staple in the Australian diet, but Brisbane Valley poultry farmer Duncan Brown is looking to the more exotic quail to tempt consumers’ tastebuds and overseas markets.

When Mr Brown sat down to a quail dish a couple of years ago, he was taken aback by the size of the bird.

“I’ve always liked quail, but always found it a bit fiddly and difficult to eat,” he said.

“I had a memorable meal at a Sydney restaurant and the quail was twice as big as what I was accustomed to, served as a main meal, and I traced that back to a farmer in the Hunter Valley.

“After two years’ discussion we agreed to be in partnership, so growing these quail that are, instead of your typical 180 to 200 grams, they’re 300 to 450 grams and that’s purely because over many years this farmer has been selecting bigger birds.

“So I guess in a sense it’s a unique breed of quail that chefs like in Asia and here because they can put it on the menu as a main meal instead of an entree.”

As a result, Mr Brown and his sister, Selena Gomersell, have built a $2 million quail processing plant at Coominya in south-east Queensland.

The plant has been Safe Food accredited and they have now applied for export certification to Singapore and Hong Kong.
A man in a blue shirt holds a quail.
Brisbane Valley Protein Precinct quail manager Vassie Govender holds a quail.
(Supplied: Agi Davis Photography)

The quail processing plant employs an additional 10 people with hopes that 20 to 30 people would eventually be employed.

But Mr Brown estimated that number could grow to 200 jobs if the protein precinct was approved.

Full production will start in early August but it is the tip of the iceberg for the siblings.

The grand plan is to build a dedicated ‘protein precinct’ on their land, which would incorporate other meat processing and food tourism.

Mr Brown said he hoped the precinct would put the region on the world’s gourmet food map and the quail processing was just the beginning.

“We have a Section 242 application before the State and the local Somerset Council to have a masterplan for our 1,011 hectares to effectively turn it into a protein precinct that will cater for future development in terms of training around food, meat processing, and food-based tourism,” he said.

“Our vision is to turn that parcel of land into a hub that produces protein for the global market, particularly Asia.

“Not just employment. We’ve had some great conversations with the local high schools, there’s a big emphasis on work-based training, and we really want to tap into that and help young people in the area see there’s a good future in food.”

Australian Eggs and CSIRO have combined forces in a new study designed to change poultry farming practices to match public expectations of welfare and quality

More than 5000 randomly selected people, along with members of the public that volunteer to partake, will be asked for their views on the Australian poultry industry in an attempt to regain the trust between producers and consumers.

Reconnecting producers and consumers by encouraging traceability and transparency is key for the survival of the poultry industry

The research programme will involve a comprehensive community survey on the impacts and contributions of the egg industry across areas such as the environment, animal welfare, food security, and livelihoods. The research outputs will provide insights into the relationship between the egg industry and the community and identify pathways to deeper levels of trust and acceptance of the industry.

Australian Eggs has undertaken to use CSIRO research as the key input to its public engagement activities under the Australian Egg Industry Sustainability Framework and has committed to transparent reporting of the research outputs.

Senior Research Scientist with the CSIRO, Dr Kieren Moffat, explains:

“Our research programme will help provide egg farmers with a better understanding of community attitudes, and communities with a better understanding of the egg industry. The CSIRO will be conducting surveys of the community across all states and territories, as well as inviting interested parties to participate. We’re excited to be involved in this project. Community trust is critical to the sustainability of all agricultural industries and we look forward to playing a role in this process.”