Consumer Perceptions and Acceptability of Egg Powder as a Preservation Technique for Rural Household Food Security in Impendle, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

The acceptability of egg powder to rural house-holds was investigated. A survey was conducted using 120 community members to assess egg utilisation. Sixty three of the survey participants evaluated the sensoryacceptability of a scrambled commercial egg powder compared to a fresh scrambled egg and also participated in acomplementary Focus Group Discussion. Egg-laying chickens were owned by 88% households. All the householdmembers consumed and valued eggs for their nutritional benefits, although, culture made egg consumption limitedfor girls and young women. Households largely used commercial eggs due to a limited availability of home-producedeggs, which were significantly lost through deterioration. Sensory analysis indicated that the egg powder was significantly (p<0.05) less acceptable relative to fresh egg due to its bad aroma, therefore it should be improved.However, the consumer panel reflected interest to explore the processing of egg powder indicating a potential forimproving rural household food security.Key Words: EggsEgg PowderRural HouseholdsFood Security

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