Asian egg consumers first became aware of the dangers of fake eggs sold in markets when the discovery surfaced in Malaysia back in 2011.
According to the Health Ministry, the shells of the fake eggs are made up from calcium carbonate while the yolk and egg white composed of several chemicals like alum, benzoic acid, sodium alginate, calcium chloride, gelatin, water, among others.
Fake eggs reportedly have rougher shells and are rounder and larger than real ones. The association also said that fake eggs do not smell of anything when broken unlike real eggs that smell like meat. The yolk of the fake egg also appears more yellow and had no sign of the “chalaze”, which is the white string that holds the yolk.
Another characteristic of the fake egg is that it will sound watery when you shake it because the chemicals inside do not solidify together.
A video of a woman that boiled what was assumed to be a fake egg went viral on social media. After boiling, she found the yolk and the texture of the egg to be rubbery.
Health agencies warn consumers to be alert of these signs to make sure that they are getting the real ones.
