from Chengdu Living
Fake eggs are still going strong in China, despite the hilarity of it all to people outside of the Mainland PRC.
Man-made eggs: using man-made materials to make chicken eggs.
An Insider’s Report: In order to tell the difference between man-made and natural eggs, the first method is to inspect the shell. Man-made eggshells are particularly shiny and if the egg is opened, the egg white is not as sticky as a natural egg and is easily mixed in with the egg yolk. There may also be a light chemical smell coming from the egg yolk/white, whereas natural eggs have a fresh smell.
A man made egg has a cost price of 5 fen (1fen=0.01RMB — 1USD=6.83RMB). The lowest sales price found is 2jiao (1jiao=0.1RMB). One person can manufacture aprox. 1500 eggs in one day.
Man-made eggshells are made from Calcium Carbonate (CaCo3). The egg whites and egg yolks are made from the following materials: Alginic Acid, Potassium Alum, Gelatin, Calcium Chloride (with water) and artificial coloring.
If fake, the yolk will quickly break up when fried
Man-made eggs are manufactured with chemicals, most importantly through the calcification of Alginic Acid.
The actual formula described above for Alginic Acid is C6H8O6 + some form of Na, which we were unable to locate. If anyone has an idea about this particular molecule, feel free to add a comment!). Man-made eggs are basically solidified gel. Most of the ingredients are additives that are regulated under Chinese law. None of these additives have any health benefits; man-made eggs cannot be considered a viable alternative to natural eggs. Many of the ingredients involved in the manufacture of man-made eggs come in industrial and commercial forms.
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