Designer eggs containing qualities of a rare Chinese herb have been produced in Singapore with 30 per cent less cholesterol than normal chicken eggs.
AP Nutripharm, a biotechnology firm, and egg producer Chew’s Agriculture, developed a feed for chickens that result in eggs containing a key component in cordyceps sinensis, reputed to contain compounds that support healthy lung and kidney function and anti- cancer, anti-bacteria and anti-inflammatory properties.
“Initially, our idea was to come up with an alternative chicken feed additive for farmers, who are facing higher feed costs as demand for corn and other raw materials have gone up,†Nutripharm managing director Mark Xu said.
“But the farmers were looking to create eggs with more nutritional value.”
It took two years of trial and error to obtain the desired results.
Nutripharm has devised a way to cultivate cordyceps sinensis on a large scale, Xu said. The company owns a patent-approved technology that can cultivate cordycep sinensis in 9.5 days, compared with a year in nature.
The ingredients are being used as an additive in chicken feed. The resulting eggs have been introduced in supermarkets.