Ticking eggs

They're a highly nutritious food containing top quality protein, 10 vitamins and minerals in one convenient package, but the Heart Foundation is still expecting some Australians to be surprised when they see fresh eggs now displaying the Tick.

Almost two in three Australians are still unsure about eggs and their role in healthy eating so the Heart Foundation, through its Tick Program, is setting the record straight on eggs. Ms Susan Anderson, national manager of the Heart Foundation Tick Program and a qualified dietitian, said eggs are a highly nutritious food that healthy people should feel comfortable including in everyday eating.

Despite the nutritional calibre of eggs, their role in a healthy eating pattern has been overshadowed by long-held myths primarily focused on their content of dietary cholesterol and fat levels.

As egg yolks contain dietary cholesterol, the Heart Foundation recommends people with heart health concerns seek advice from their doctor or an accredited practising dietitian regarding their intake of egg yolks. This advice does not apply to the healthy population.

Research shows more than eight out of 10 people over the age of 40 believe they need to restrict the number of eggs eaten each week," said Ms Anderson.

"An egg contains approximately 5 g of fat, the majority of which is the healthy, unsaturated fat our body needs for normal daily functioning. Only 1.5 g of the total fat is the unhealthier saturated fat," she added.

The managing director of the Australian Egg Corporation, Mr James Kellaway, said egg farmers around Australia were enthusiastic about entering the Tick Program and hoped the Tick would help to clarify that eggs are a highly nutritious food.