AU671796B2

AU671796B2 - Method of preparing a dietary low cholesterol whole egg or egg yolk product, and the further processing of the product to give foods

Info

Publication number: AU671796B2
Application number: AU11684/92A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Martin Jackeschky
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-01-24
Filing date: 1992-01-24
Publication date: 1996-09-12
Anticipated expiration: 2012-01-24
Also published as: ATE143770T1; EP0621754A1; AU1168492A; WO1993014649A1; JPH07503840A; GR3022177T3; CA2128240A1; JP3024798B2; CA2128240C; EP0621754B1; ES2096069T3

Abstract

Described is a method of preparing a dietary low cholesterol whole egg or egg yolk product, the method being characterized in that whole egg or egg yolk is dehydrated and then mixed with a low cholesterol extraction solvent based on liquid edible oils. The extraction solvent is allowed to act and then separated from the egg again in an oil removal procedure.

Description

OPI DATE 01/09/93 APPLN. ID 11684/92 111 111 IIll~ AOJP DATE 28/10/93 PCT NUMBER PCT/EP92/00159 111 iiili iiiii AU921 1684 R DIE

(PCT)

(51) Internationale Patentkiassiflkation 5 (11) Internationale Ver~ffentlichungsnummer: WO 93/ 14649 A23L 1/32, 1/015 Al (43) Internationales Veroffentlichungsdatum: 5. August 1993 (05.08.93) (21) Internationales Aktenzeichen: PCT/EP92/00 159 Veroffentlicht (22) Internationales Anmneldedatum: 24. Januar 1992 (24.0 1.92) MlitrainlmRcecebrct (71)(72) Anmelder und Erfinder: JACKESCHKY, Martin [DE/ DEJ; Moltkestrage 86, D-2300 Kiel (DE).

(74) Anwalt: SCHAEFER, Konrad; Gehi~lzweg 20, D-20007 Hamburg 70 (DE).6 7 (81) Bestimmungsstaaten: AU, CA, JP, US, europ~isches Patent (AT, BE, CH, DE, DK, ES, FR, GB, GR, IT, LU, MC, NL, SE).

(54)Title: METHOD OF PREPARING A DIETARY LOW CHOLESTEROL WHOLE EGG OR EGG YOLK PRODUCT, AND THE FURTHER PROCESSING OF THE PRODUCT TO GIVE FOODS (54) Bezeichnung: VERFAHREN ZUR HERSTELLUNG EINES DIXTETISCHEN, CHOLESTERINREDUZIERTEN VOLLET- ODER EIGELBPRODUKTES, SOWIE DEREN WETTERVERARBEITUNG ZU NAH-

RUNGSMITI'ELN

(57) Abstract Described is a method of preparing a dietary low cholesterol whole egg or egg yolk product, the method being characterized in that whole egg or egg yolk is dehydrated and then mixed with a low cholesterol extraction solvent based on liquid edible oils. The extraction solvent is allowed to act and then separated from the egg again in an oil removal procedure.

(57) Zusammnenfassung Emn Verfahren zur Herstellung eines diatetischen, cholesterolreduzierten Voll- oder Eigelbproduktes ist dadurch gekennzeichnet, dlag man Vollei oder Eigelb entw~ssert, dann mit einem cholesterolarmen Extraktionsmittel auf Basis von flilssigen Speise~len versetzt, das Extraktionsmittel einwirken lfitt und dann in einem Ent6lungsschritt wieder aus der Eimasse entfernt.

a a S a a.

0

K

A Process for Preparing a Dietary, Cholesterol-Reduced Whole Egg or Egg Yolk Product, and its Processing into Foodstuffs The invention relates to a process for preparing a dietetic, cholesterol-reduced, whole egg or egg yolk product, and also to the products themselves and their use as initial materials for making foodstuffs. Moreover, the invention relates to an egg extract resulting as a by product from the process and its use as a foodstuff additive.

The above terms "whole egg" or "egg yolk" relate primarily to chicken eggs. Aside from nutritionally physiologically valuable components such as proteins, for instance vitellin, phosphorus lipids (lecithins), chicken eggs also contain medically undesirable materials such as cholesterol. Cholesterol is present in the fat fraction of the egg yolk and, together with the equally undesirable saturated fatty acids, amounts to about 20% of the valuable weight of the yolk.

As regards using eggs in dietetic foodstuffs, it is especially desirable to reduce the cholesterol proportion in the yolk.

It is known in this respect to remove the fat fraction of the egg yolk by total extraction with a solvent such as hexane. While this process allows removing the cholesterol, on the other hand the medically desirable lecithins are also extracted, at least in part. Moreover, it is impossible to entirely remove the extractant, eg., from the egg yolk without thereby harming the product.

Another way to remove cholesterol from the egg yolk is by means of high-pressure extraction using super-critical fluids C0 2 High-pressure extraction allows selectively removing cholesterol together with other fats contained in the egg yolk without thereby reducing the lecithin content. However this process has the disadvantage that the cholesterol is, to a large extent, the last substance of the egg-yolk fat fraction to be absorbed by the fluid flow and consequently long treatment times are required. As a result, partial denaturing of the egg yolk protein may easily take place at the temperatures and pressures of high-pressure extraction.

Another way to remove cholesterol from yolk is by adding cyclodextrin to the liquid yolk. Cyclodextrin selectively encloses cholesterol. Following a given time of application, the cyclodextrin together with the enclosed matter, ie., the cholesterol, can be removed from the yolk. But this process is not yet sufficiently economic to be acceptable in the marketplace.

Accordingly the problem underlying the invention is to create a medically acceptable process for the preparation of cholesterol-reduced, full egg or egg-yolk products.

35 Another goal of the invention is to provide especially suitable cholesterol-reduced, full egg or egg-yolk products.

According to a first embodiment of this invention there is provided a process for preparing a dietetic, low-cholesterol whole egg or egg yolk product, comprising dehydrating whole egg or egg yolk; followed by treatment with a low-cholesterol extractant based on liquid food oils, which treatment comprises mixing the dehydrated IN LIBUUIOO2138:KEH 0 I n whole egg or egg yolk with the extractant, extracting the dehydrated whole egg or egg yolk; followed by de-oiling the resultant egg mass by removing the extractant from said egg mass.

According to a second embodiment of this invention there is provided dietetic cholesterol-reduced egg or egg-yolk product prepared by the process of the first embodiment.

According to a third embodiment of this invention there is provided a whole egg or egg yolk extract which can be obtained as a by-product of the process of the first embodiment.

Essentially the process according to the invention resides in dehydrating the initial material in the form of full eggs or egg yolks and thereupon treating it with an extractant based on a low-cholesterol, liquid food oil. The principle of the process is that the mixture being created from the fat fraction of the egg yolk and the added liquid food oil acquires a substantially uniform concentration of all fat components. In other words, the cholesterol from the egg-yolk fat fraction uniformly disperses in the low-cholesterol extractant. After the extractant has been separated, a substantial part of the egg-yolk cholesterol can therefore be removed in a single extraction step.

When the extraction procedure is repeated several times, the cholesterol proportion in the egg yolk can be easily lowered by at least 95 Depending on what the fat content of the final product shall be, the last de-oiling step can be carried out such that the extractant is removed only in part from the egg mass in the last de-oiling step.

Various food oils can be contemplated as extractants. For example, if there is interest in obtaining as a product egg yolk which corresponds substantially with the composition of the natural egg yolk minus the cholesterol, a low-cholesterol egg oil for may be used for extraction. Such egg oil can be obtained, for instance, by first extracting egg yolk with some food oil and then removing cholesterol from the extract. Unlike extraction from the egg yolk, cholesterol can be easily removed in conventional manner from a fatty liquid. The decholesterinised extract of the first treatment step can be used again as an extractant and becomes enriched in egg oil. When such treatment is repeated several times, an extractant increasingly enriched in egg yolk fats will be obtained, the extractant essentially evincing the composition of egg oil without cholesterol. If egg oil so enriched is used as the extractant, one obtains a cholesterol-free egg product which in other respects conforms with the natural egg composition. However this process is comparatively costly.

Usually a conventional vegetal food oil will be preferred as an extractant. All vegetal food oils are suitable, for instance wheat germ oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, palm oil or thistle oil. These oils may be used individually or in mixtures. Apart from being economical, such extractants offer the further advantage of removing or lowering 40 the undesired animal saturated fatty acids in addition to the cholesterol and of facilitating, IN:\LIBUU100288:KEH where called for, enrichment with unsaturated, vegetal fatty acids and oil-soluble vitamins.

The de-oiling step, ie., the removal of excess extractant is advantageously carried out by known conventional processes, for instance by decanting, separation, filtration, and especially by centrifuging.

Before being treated with the extractant, the full egg or the egg yolk may by spraydrying, or in a subsequent step, by instantisation, formed into a grain size of 150im to 300i.m. By spray drying, the water is withdrawn in a particularly gentle manner from the initial material of the full egg or egg yolk, and, after the extraction treatment, the powder granulated by irstantisation can be deoiled especially easily and uniformly. Throughout the specification and claims the term "instantisation" is to be taken as meaning a method of providing instant properties to a product by using a suitable drying process or by agglomerating or granulating of dried products. In the context of the present invention "instantisation" always means agglomeration or granulation of the egg powder obtained by the spray drying process.

Nevertheless, the extractant cannot be fully removed from the treated egg mass by the above-described de-oiling process. In almost all cases however the main interest will be to make a product free of cholesterol; complete removal of any fat is not mandatory.

On the contrary, it may be even advantageous that the cholesterol-free product contain, in addition, for instance high-quality fatty acids from vegetal oils.

Nonetheless, it may be necessary for instance regarding food for athletes to make available a full egg or egg yolk product entirely free of fat. In such a case the invention provides that the practically cholesterol-free egg mass obtained after the last de-oiling step 2 may be additionally extracted with supercritical fluids. Again it is suitable to reduce the 25 resulting egg mass to a grain size of 0.5 to 2mm prior to fluid extraction. The fluid flows especially easily through such a granulated egg substance. However the described highpressure extraction is only appropriate when the extractants are vegetal food oils and when multiple extraction is carried out.

In contrast to animal fats, vegetal fats disperse relatively easily in the fluid flow and can be extracted within short treatment intervals. The above-described drawbacks when treating natural egg yolk with supercritical fluids do not arise in such a procedure; therefore a fully fat-free product is prepared in gentle manner. In this respect it was furthermore found advantageous that from 0.1 to 2% (with reference to the fresh egg content) of an electrolyte, eg., common salt and/or sodium citrate, be added to the initial material prior to dehydrating by spray-drying. The presence of such salts in the egg mass additionally protects against any protein denaturing.

As an alternative to the above-described fluid extract'on or as a preliminary step it is also possible, during extraction and at least during the last de-oiling step, ie., the removal of the excess extractant, to force an inert gas through the egg mass, if necessary under N 002 KEH O IN \LIBUUIO0288 KEH pressure, in order to remove any oil not firmly absorbed. Generally, the entire process of the invention is carried out in an inert gas atmosphere.

As mentioned above, the medically undesired substances, in particular cholesterol, are contained almost exclusively in the egg yolk. The pure white of chicken eggs is basically a mixture of albumin and globulin and as such is dietetically unobjectionable.

Accordingly, in most cases it will not be necessary to use the whole egg as the initial product of the process according to the invention; instead it will suffice to treat only the egg yolk. Treating only the egg yolk offers the advantage of a better control of the extraction. Furthermore, the quantities to be processed are then smaller. Therefore it may be assumed as a rule that egg yolk will be processed in the process of the invention.

Where egg yolk is exclusively the initial material, and a substantially whole egg composition is desired as the dietetic end product, the treated mass of egg yolk is mixed with spray-dried egg white in an amount matching the natural whole egg composition.

Furthermore the invention concerns a dietetic egg yolk or a whole egg product which can be prepared according to the above process by extraction using vegetal food oils. As a rule the low-cholesterol products prepared by this process still contain some extractant; in other words the initial fat fraction contained in the egg yolk was replaced ::wholly or partly by vegetal food oil. Such products therefore are not only low in cholesterol but also they are enriched with essential vegetal fatty acids. Accordingly, they 20 are especially valuable dietetically.

The egg products of the invention can be prepared by extraction using some vegetal food oils. Accordingly, any number of different products based on the different food oils also are conceivable. However, it is preferred that the product contain "red palm oil" at least admixed to another vegetal food oil. "Red palm oil" is an excellent anti-oxidant and assures long storage life of the egg products of the invention, ie., that they will not turn rancid.

Another advantageous egg product is disclosed which essentially contains the same fat proportion as untreated whole egg or egg yolk, except that the fat fraction of the egg product consists of vegetal food oil. Illustratively, such a product may be used and processed exactly like egg yolk in the quantities specified in recipes.

The egg products prepared by the process of the invention are directly applicable to the preparation of dietetic foodstuffs. They contain no substances which must be listed under law. The extraction or preparation of the products are carried out solely with safe foodstuffs. Therefore, the invention also concerns the use of the egg products prepared by the process according to the invention when making dietetic foodstuffs.

The extractant removed from the egg substance during deoiling accumulates as a by product while the process according to the invention proceeds. Depending on the form in which the process is carried out, the natural fats of the egg yolk, and, possibly, other oilsoluble substances are enriched to different degrees in this extractant. First of all, it was found that this egg extract has excellent emulsifier features. Furthermore, the cholesterol IN 'I nR II lflnn28 KEH enriched in the extract can be easily removed, for instance by means of an elatrate (adductive crystallisation). Thus, the egg extract can be used as a natural colorant (egg yolk colour) or as a flavouring agent (aroma) in foodstuffs without requiring the listing of an additive.

There is also disclosed an egg extract accumulating as a by-product of the process according to the invention and uses thereof.

The invention will be explained below with reference to a number of examples and one figure.

Example 1 10OOg spray-dried normal egg yolk powder was suspended in 1.5 litre soybean oil at and, following an interaction time of about 10min, was de-oiled in a screen-type centrifuge (centrifuge coefficient 1300) and subsequently was treated four times each time with 0.5 litre soybean oil at 40°C. Then the egg substance was centrifuged to dryness for about 10min. The yield was 1085g. The residual cholesterol content was 239mg/100g of powdered egg.

c"i: Example 2 Processing took place as in Example 1, except that by modifying the drying operation, the spray-dried egg yolk powder was changed so that its grains had increased porosity. The mean grain size was 225Ltm In this case the yield was 1040g and the residual cholesterol content was 223mg/100g of powdered egg.

Example 3 Processing was carried out in the manner of Example 1; the powdered egg serving as the initial material was spray-dried in the manner of Example 2. But deviating from 1. the process of Example 1, however, both the interior of the centrifuge and the receiver were filled with an inert gas (in this instance, CO 2 and kept under a small excess E' pressure. The inert gas circulated between the centrifuge and the receiver.

The yield was 976g and the residual cholesterol content was 200mg/100g of powdered egg.

Example 4 Processing was carried out as in Example 3, except that a mixture of 0.250 litre soybean oil and 0.250 litre "red palm oil" was used for the fourth de-oiling. On account of its natural composition, "red palm oil" is a very efficient antioxidant. The extraordinarily high content of provitamin A (carotene) and the very high content of provitamin E (tocopherol) provide long-term protection and prevent the egg product treated with palm oil turning rancid. The yield was 977g at a residual cholesterol content of 200mg/100g of powdered egg.

.I

~IN I I I"InO288'KEH 0 0

S

*000 0 0 0* 6 Analysis of the powdered egg obtained in the manner of Example 4 shows the following composition in comparison with the untreated powdered egg.

Component units Example 4 initial material average values water g 3.0 3.4 protein g 34.8 31.7 fats g 56.0 59.3 carbohydrates g 2.5 2.1 minerals g 3.7 vitamin A mg 20.5 1.79 vitamin E mg 215.0 5.60 palmitic acid C16:0 g 13.10 12.80 stearic acid C18:O g 2.10 4.30 palmitoleic acid C16:1 g 0.24 4.10 oleic acid C18:1 g 16.96 26.40 linoleic acid C18:2 g vitamin F 21.41 10.80 linolenic acid C18:3 g vitamin F 2.85 1.65 arachidonic acid C20:0 g 0.10 0.30 fatty acid C22:0 g 0.01 0.10 fatty acid C22:6 g 0.01 0.10 lecithin (egg) mg 12,400 12,500 cholesterol mg 200 3,015 sitosterol mg 138 0 stigmasterol mg 52 0 campesterol mg 48 0 The above table shows the possibilities made available by the invention when various vegetal oils (in this case soybean oil and palm oil) are purposefully used in the extraction: 1. lowering the cholesterol content by more than 2. practically unchanged content of egg lecithin, 3. ten-fold increase in the provitamin A content, 4. forty-fold increase in the provitamin E content, 5. increase in the provitamin F content by about 100%.

Example The processing was that of Example 3, except that the mixture was treated eight times with 0.5 litre soybean oil. The residual cholesterol content of the powdered egg IN IB I 'l 0988KEH *O a a a a a.

was only 51mg/100g of powdered egg, the total sterol content being 210mg/100g of powdered egg. This means a cholesterol flushing rate of about 98%.

Considering the previous Examples, it can be concluded that the oil content of powdered egg yolk can be reduced with greater efficiency by using a centrifuge or can be reduced significantly by extended post-centrifuging, whereby the residual cholesterol content is reduced even further. A similar effect is obtained by passing the inert flushing gas according to Example 3 at an elevated pressure through the egg substance.

Example 6 In order to test the quality, powdered egg prepared in the manner of Example 4 was admixed in lieu of fresh egg yolk into 80% mayonnaise, 50% salad mayonnaise, salad dressing and into egg-butter cream.

Standard recipes were used, each time exchanging 15g of fresh yolk specified in the recipe against 7.65g powdered egg prepared according to the invention and dissolved in 7.65g water. In each case the amount of egg yolk in the mayonnaise/dressings was of the oil content, referred to fresh egg yolk. Fresh egg yolk was converted into spraydried powdered egg in accordance with the following list: Weight of an average egg egg shell 6g proportion of yolk 15g spray-dried 7.65g egg white proportion 29g spray-dried 3.77g 11.42g Independent testers evaluated the products made from standard recipes using lowcholesterol powdered egg yolk. All products were rated "good" for appearance (same look), consistency (creaminess and feel to palate) and taste. No after-taste or other significant difference with products based on fresh egg yolks could be determined.

Example 7 Furthermore, according to the naturally found proportions, 7.65g of the powdered yolk prepared as per Example 4 were mixed with 3.77g spray-dried albumin powder and, hence, 11.42g of a product having the composition of whole egg powder were obtained.

Batches of 11.42g of this product when dissolved in 32.58mL water could be easily incorporated in lieu of one egg in various recipes.

In order to demonstrate examples of the comparable quality of whole-egg products prepared in this way, the following dishes were prepared as if in a kitchen and then tested: a) scrambled egg with bacon b) noodles c) omelettes/pancakes d) stirred cdke of the type of sand cake 0;p

VZ-.

IN:ILIBUU]0028B:KEH e) doughnuts.

First a so-called "ready-mix" was prepared for products d) and e) corresponding to US industrial recipes. (A "ready-mix" is a pre-mixture containing all ingredients such as eggs, spices etc. and requiring only being mixed and stirred with water and milk prior to preparation.) Again, when checking appearance and taste, no detrimental difference from comparable products made with normal eggs was observed.

The ensuing Examples 8, 9 and 10 relate to treating natural egg yolk and egg yolk processed in the manner of the invention with supercritical fluids. All three tests were carried out under the same conditions as follows: 1) The egg yolk used as the initial subtance was dried to a residual moisture of 2% with the aid of pre-dried inert gas at 50 0

C.

2) The extraction vessel (diameter 11.5cm) was filled with 10OOg of egg product without pressure application.

3) Extraction was carried out with pure CO 2 at 40°C, under a pressure of 5000psi, and a flow rate of 33g CO 2 /h per gram of egg yolk.

Example 8 Normal, commercial powdered egg yolk was dried as stated above to a residual moisture of 2% and loosely filled into the extraction vessel. Extraction was carried out as in point 3) for 4.5h. When the apparatus was opened, it was found that the gas had formed channels and, hence, that extraction had proceeded nonuniformly in the extraction cake. The loss in weight of the powdered egg was 35%, the residual cholesterol content of the extracted egg yolk was 1.34%.

9 Example 9 Powdered egg yolk was washed with soybean oil in the manner of Example 3 and thereafter granulated in a fluidised-bed granulator to a grain size of 1-2mm and dried to a residual moisture of The resulting dried egg yolk was filled into the extraction S" vessel and extracted for 3.5h under the conditions listed above under point The weight loss of the egg yolk granulate was 37%, the residual cholesterol content of the extracted yolk was 0.069% for a total sterol content of 0.11 Example Processing was carried out basically as in Example 9 except that 1.5% of a mixture of cooking salt and calcium citrate was added to the egg yolk powder prior to spraydrying. Extraction lasted about 3h. The weight loss of the yolk granulate was 43 at an oil yield of 41.1%; the cholesterol content was 0.031%, and the sterol content, 0.07%.

As to the course of the extraction of Examples 8, 9, and 10, reference is made to the figure.

l F\ IN:LIBUUI002Ba:KEH 9 By using powdered eggs of reduced oil content (see note in Example it is possible to further improve the economy of CO 2 extraction which -as shown by the figureis poorest in Example 8 and best in Example In an other analysis, it was established that the egg granulate prepared in Examples 9 and 10 was practically free of fat. Both granulates were creamy-white, lacked odour and evinced a slight taste of egg yolk. Further, they were very soluble, and the lecithin content referred to fresh egg yolk was hardly any difference from that of untreated yolk.

Thus, the granulates of Examples 9 and 10 are well suited for recovery diets rich in protein and lecithin.

Example 11 The last Example 11 concerns the vegetal oil used as extractant in the processes according to Examples 1 through 4. This vegetal oil was collected separately after the extraction operation and then treated as follows: The extraction oil separated from the powdered egg yolk of the first treatment step and the extraction oil obtained from the first rinse were combined. An analysis rendered the following composition: a a a.

a.

'N

-i

'N

Total sterol content 1.442% of which cholesterol 0.945% stigmasterol 0.065% campesterin 0.178% sitosterin 0.254% lecithin 0.0099% The combined extraction oils were stored at 20°C for 3 days and for more days at 10 to 12 0

C.

During this time waxy components settled on the bottom. The clear supernatant substance was decanted; the turbid bottom sediment was centrifuged at 10 0 C or squeezed through a filter press.

The cholesterol was recovered from the clear oil with known processes, such as clathrates, and was extracted. After this treatment, the clear oil could be used in many ways, eg., as an emulsifier, flavouring agent (aroma) or for tempera.

OFF"I

IN \LIBUUIO0288 KEH

Claims

1. A process for preparing a dietetic, low-cholesterol whole egg or egg yolk product, comprising dehydrating whole egg or egg yolk; followed by treatment with a low-cholesterol extractant based on liquid food oils, which treatment comprises mixing the dehydrated whole egg or egg yolk with the extractant, extracting the dehydrated whole egg or egg yolk; followed by de-oiling the egg mass by removing the extractant from said egg mass.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the treatment by extractant as well as the ensuing de-oiling is repeated several times and, if necessary, with various extractants.

3. The process according to claims 1 or claim 2, wherein the extractant is removed only in part from the egg mass in the last de-oiling step.

4. The process according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the extractant is a mixture of one or more of any liquid food oils with a cholesterol-reduced egg oil fraction, or is cholesterol-reduced egg oil alone.

The process according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the extractant is a vegetal food oil or a mixture of two or more thereof.

6. The process according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the de-oiling step is carried out by decanting, separating, filter pressing, centrifuging or combinations 20 thereof.

7. The process according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the whole egg or the egg yolk is subjected to a spray-drying process for their dehydration.

8. The process according to claim 7, wherein the egg yolk or the whole egg is granulated to a grain size of 150tm to 300pm in the course of spray-drying or in a 25 subsequent step by means of instantisation, as herein defined.

9. The process according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein, after the last de- oiling step, the egg substance is additionally extracted with supercritical fluids.

The process according to claim 9, wherein the supercritical fluid is CO 2

11. The process according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein, after the last de-oiling step and prior to extraction with supercritical fluids, the egg mass is converted to a grain size of 0.5 to 2mm by instant granulation.

12. The process according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein, prior to dehydration, an electrolyte, preferably cooking salt or calcium citrate, is added to the whole egg or egg yolk in a quantity of between 0.1 and 2% of the fresh-egg content.

13. The process according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein during extraction or at least during the last de-oiling step, an inert gas is passed through the egg mass.

14. The process according to claim 13, wherein the inert gas is passed through under pressure.

The process according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the initial 40 material is powdered egg yolk and in that the egg mass obtained after treatment is mixed I IN LIBUU100288 KEH 11 with a quantity of spray-dried egg white that corresponds to the natural whole egg composition.

16. Dietetic cholesterol-reduced egg or egg-yolk product prepared by a process according to any one of claims 5 to

17. The product according to claim 16, wherein the fat fraction it contains is a mixture of vegetal food oils one of which is "red palm oil" in the natural state.

18. The product according to claim 16 or claim 17, having a fat content matching that of the untreated egg or egg yolk.

19. A process for preparing a cholesterol-reduced foodstuff, which process comprises mixing a whole egg or egg yolk extract which can be obtained by the process according to any one of claims 1 to 15 together with other food ingredients as desired.

An emulsifier, colorant or flavouring agent for foodstuffs, comprising a whole egg extract o egg yolk extract which can be obtained as a by-product of the process according to any one of claims 1 to

21. A process for preparing a dietetic, low-cholesterol whole egg or egg yolk product, which process is substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the Examples.

22. Dietetic cholesterol-reduced egg or egg-yolk product, substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the Examples. 20

23. A process for preparing a cholesterol-reduced foodstuff, substantially as herein described with reference to Example 6 or Example 7. 4 Dr-ted 19 June, 1996 Martin Jackeschky S Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON I/ -v IN \LIBUU100288 KEH ABSTRACT A method for preparing a dietetic, cholesterol-reduced whole egg or egg yolk product is characterized by dehydrating the whole egg or the yolk and then by mixing it with a low- cholesterol extractant based on liquid food oils, the extractant being allowed to act, and this reactant then being removed from the egg substance during a de-oiling stage.