Comparative Study Regarding Quality of Quail Eggs Sold in Supermarkets

Abstract

Research on the importance of quail eggs has shown that regular consumption leads to a significant increase in resistance to diseases, stress, and revitalization of the body. In Romania, there has been observed a consistent consumer appetite for this category and their constant presence in the market, especially at supermarkets, since 2018-2019. Due to the inability of Romanian aviculture to consistently satisfy supply demands, products are partly imported. Hence, the main purpose of this paper is to establish the quality of quail eggs. Quality evaluation was based on determining specific physical indicators (weight, specific weight, white and yolk index, Haugh index, shell thickness), and chemical composition (% water, D.M., fats, and proteins). The values obtained for physical indicators were within the limits accepted by the literature (although there were differences of up to 8% in weight between batches, freshness indices showed close values, highlighting the freshness of the product, and shell thickness fluctuated insignificantly with shell integrity at 100%). Chemical properties were characteristic of fresh eggs, with no significant differences between batches or literature references. The overall conclusion of the study was that marketed quail eggs comply with current norms, regardless of their origin.

Keywords

• chemical indicators, food safety, physical indicators, quality, quail eggs