Egg intake reaches international standards

The per capita egg intake of Bangladeshis has reached 103 on an average per year, according to a new study. According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), a person needs 104 eggs per year to meet his nutrition requirements.

According to the government statistics, an average Bangladeshi could not eat more than 40 eggs per year a decade ago. Consumption soared due to the increased production of eggs that has tripled over the last decade. The poultry industry has upheld 15 per cent growth throughout a decade.

Despite bird flu and businesses going bad at times due to ‘artificial egg’ rumours, the local poultry industry kept the price of eggs within the reach of customers.

In June, international science journal 'Journal of Applied Science' said that the eggs that were publicised as artificial ones were actually natural but a bit bigger in volume and different in colour. The research was carried out by Md. Ataul Goni Rabbani, Shakila Faruque, and Nathu Ram Sarker of Livestock Research Institute. According to the study, among the total production some 2-4.50 per cent eggs are a little abnormal, but rumours were spread that they were artificial eggs manufactured by China.

Actually these eggs are just normal, the study said. The researchers collected 3,660 eggs from 25 districts of the country and then scrutinised them. The study spanned from March 2017 to June 2018.

The samples were collected from small and big markets at upazila and district level while they were compared to the eggs of the livestock institution’s research centre.

"The nutritional value was not different in the eggs that were said to be artificial. Some people may have intentionally or ignorantly had spread such rumour," Nathu Ram Sarker said.

According to the livestock department, about 11.50 billion eggs were produced in 2014-15 fiscal. Some 17.81 billion eggs are projected to be produced for the fiscal 2019-20. Around 83.33 billion egg-related trade took place in the fiscal 2015-16 while it is projected that egg trade of 124.67 billion will take place in 2019-20.