Egg Beaters is a product marketed in the United States as a healthy substitute[ Eggbeaters website-Health Benefits Accessed January 22, 2011] for whole eggs. It is a substitute for whole/fresh eggs (from the shell) that contains less cholesterol, but it is not an egg substitute (in the sense of a food to replace eggs for people with egg allergies). Egg Beaters is primarily egg whites with added flavorings, vitamins, and thickeners xanthan gum and guar gum.[ Eggbeaters website FAQ Nutrition Accessed January 22, 2011]
Past and present
The Egg Beaters product was introduced in 1972 at a time when there was a widespread public perception in various countries that any dietary cholesterol was detrimental to cardiovascular health. Because egg
have plenty of cholesterol, this notion created a market demand for a way to eat eggs or egg-like foods without ingesting dietary cholesterol. The Egg Beaters product served this demand with egg whites that were convenient (required no eggshell handling and no yolk separating by the user) and yet still had the pleasing yellowness and texture of regular beaten (whole) eggs. The product was originally sold frozen as "Fleischmann's Egg Beaters". Advertisements at the time stated: "Fleischmann's has substituted yolk-like ingredients for the cholesterol packed yolk of a fresh egg." A package cost 79 cents in 1973 ().
[ The Daily Times (February 28, 1973)] The refrigerated version was introduced in 1994.
[ Eggbeaters website - History . Archived, on February 8, 2011] For a brief time, the company sold Egg Beaters With Yolk, which contained a small amount of yolk.
[ Vanessa L Facenda "ConAgra Egg Substitute Beats a Path to Gen Yers". Brandweek, February 18, 2008, 14.]
The product was originally introduced by Standard Brands, which merged with Nabisco in 1981 to form Nabisco Brands, Inc.[ Nabisco History] ConAgra acquired Nabisco's refrigerated food business in late 1998.
Egg Beaters are sometimes included as part of a heart healthy diet.
Variations
Egg Beaters are sold frozen or refrigerated in various size containers
[ Eggbeaters website-Products Accessed January 22, 2011] and seven varieties, Original, 100% Egg Whites, Garden Vegetable, Cheese & Chives, Southwestern Style, Three Cheese, and Florentine. Most contain no fat or cholesterol, and all provide substantially less
food energy (calories), fat, and cholesterol than whole eggs.
[ Eggbeaters website-Coompare to Shell Eggs Accessed January 22, 2011]
External links
