The European Food Safety Authority (Efsa) has, for the first time, set values for a recommended daily intake of choline, a little-known nutrient that’s particularly important for pregnant women and babies, and which is present in eggs.
According to the British Egg Information Service (BEIS) an average medium size egg provides 144mg choline, making the Efsa move good for egg producers, as well as being beneficial information for pregnant women.
“Emerging research has supported the importance of the micronutrient choline to the health of both mothers and babies,” said BEIS, adding that studies indicate that the central nervous system is particularly sensitive to the lack of choline.
The new European Adequate Intake (AI) level, set by Efsa, is 400mg of choline daily, meaning that a two-egg meal would provide around two-thirds of the AI for an adult. For babies and toddlers, meanwhile, a single egg would provide almost all (90%) of the AI for a baby aged 7-11 months and more than 100% of the AI for a toddler.
