Nutritive composition and labelling compliance of pre-packaged fresh eggs from Croatian producers

Abstract

The nutrient composition makes the chicken egg a perfectly balanced food in the human diet, serving as a dietary source of protein, fat, and other nutrients. Easily accessible, eggs can be found in almost every household. Although manufacturers are not required to provide nutritional information on egg packaging, many have recognised the benefits of highlighting the nutritional declaration on their products. The aim of this study was to analyse the nutritional composition of different grades of eggs from different producers and farming systems, and to assess compliance with the nutritional tables declared on the products. The study covered a period of five years, from 2020 to 2024, during which 107 packs of fresh chicken eggs from five different Croatian producers were analysed, including barn and cage reared eggs, and different weight classes (M and L). The results showed that the eggs from Croatian producers have high nutritional value and nutrition tables listed on the packaging are accurate for each evaluated class of eggs, for all five producers. In addition, all product labels complied with the requirements for nutritional information in the form of nutritional tables set by the European Union regulations.