Feeding orange maize for orange yolks – All About Feed

Consumers in various countries prefer yolks with an intense golden orange colour. Yolk colour can be influenced by feeding biofortified high carotenoid orange maize.Studies show that consumer preferences may differ, but people in most countries prefer yolks with an intense golden-orange colour as it is associated with better quality and a more intense taste.It is known that hens are not able to synthesize carotenoids, so we can conclude that the colour of the yolk is derived from the carotenoid pigments present in their feed. To achieve a deeper coloured yolk, some producers use specific feed additives that contain both yellow and red carotenoids from natural and artificial sources.Orange maize in feedThe challenge with most artificially produced carotenoids is that, although they can increase the carotenoid levels in egg yolks, they inflict substantial costs on egg producers and do not provide the health benefits associated with macular carotenoids that are found in, for example, maize.Feeding maize grain leads to natural variation in carotenoids that are associated with human health benefits such as visual and cognitive health.Researchers from Purdue University in the US therefore compared the impact of adding biofortified high carotenoid orange maize (initially bred for human consumption) to standard yellow…
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