Lutein is connected with good eye and vision health, something that is becoming even more important as life expectancy in humans is steadily increasing. Our sources for consuming lutein are limited, but eggs can play a significant role as a lutein-rich food.
Lutein is a pigment found in abundance in alfalfa meal, an ingredient that is no longer used in monogastric animals. But, modern thinking considers this a drawback and not an advance as we get to know more about how nutrition and health are interconnected.
Corn, which is the major source of natural pigments in layer diets, contains about 20 mg/kg xanthophylls (zeaxanthins). These give egg yolk an orange hue that is so desired by many consumers. In fact, this desire has been extrapolated by the industry to the point synthetic pigments are added in commercial layer diets – something consumers are not aware of.
In contrast, xanthophylls (lutein) in alfalfa meal are at the level of about 175 mg/kg, making it a primary source of pigmentation. However, lutein makes eggs more yellow than red, something that is considered not as desirable as the strong red-orange hue achieved by the combination of synthetic hues and corn.
However, in my opinion, if consumers are educated by egg organizations that eggs containing more lutein than red pigments (regardless of the source), they would opt for the former. I know I would, because eye health is not something that we can afford to risk.
However, this brings about the questions of cost and of layer nutrition. After all, alfalfa meal is not the easiest material and contains a lot of fiber. Thus, there is some more work to be done before we see new designer eggs for better health. After all, we already see omega-3-enriched eggs and, based on my experience, they enjoy a good share of the fresh egg market.
