Where Does the Yellow in an Egg Come From?

By “Awake!” correspondent in West Germany

AN EGG yolk’s color may vary from pale yellow to deep orange. Does it make any difference to you what color the yolk is? It does to many persons. Naturally, preferences among egg eaters differ from country to country. Most West German buyers, for example, prefer eggs with a deeply colored yolk. From where does the color come?

An egg yolk’s color is due to pigments that the chickens naturally get in their feed. These pigments, called carotenoids, are present in corn and green leafy plants such as alfalfa. A mixture of yellow and red pigments is what brings about the color found in egg yolks. With differences in the amount of pigments contained in the feed, the color of egg yolks varies greatly. Hence, with natural feed much depends upon the type of feed, as well as the time of the year.

In some areas eggs with pale yolks are graded lower in quality. By adding natural carotenoids a conformity in color could be achieved, but, since these pigments have a very short life-span, they have completely disappeared in feed stored for up to a year’s time. Pale yolks can result from using such feed, and buyers may tend to avoid such eggs.

It has become possible to produce a carotenoid artificially, contained naturally in citrus fruits. Some of this pigment can be added to feeds, thereby assuring that the yolks will have a desirable color.

So the next time you observe the pretty yellow color of the egg yolks on your breakfast plate, you will have a little better idea as to the source of the color.