If you are feeling a little under the weather, it might not be the jar of multivitamins that you need to reach for but the frying pan – along with eggs from the Stonegate Farmers Enriched range.
While eggs may have a long-established reputation for being a healthy breakfast food, U.K. free-range and organic egg specialist Stonegate has gone a step further with the launch of its Enriched range, which comprises three different brands: Energise, Defence and Multi Vit.
Each of the offerings has its own unique properties and should tap into consumers’ growing interest in health and well-being.
Stonegate explains that its Energise eggs are rich in Folic Acid, also known as vitamin B9, which, amongst other things, supports the production of DNA and other genetic material essential for growth. All B-complex vitamins convert food into fuel, which is used to produce energy.
If, like me, you tend to eat two eggs for breakfast, then a couple of Energise eggs should give you up to 36% of your recommended daily Folic Acid intake.
Immune support
If your energy levels are fine as they are, you may want to consider Stonegate’s Defence eggs, developed to support the immune system through being rich in selenium, protecting the body against oxidative stress, which causes cell and tissue damage triggering inflammation.
Selenium, Stonegate adds, supports many bodily functions, and helps to regulate the metabolism, keeping growth and development in check with a healthy, functioning thyroid.
If you feel that are not getting enough selenium, well, two Defence eggs supply up to 52% of the recommended daily selenium intake, so you can leave the supplements jar in the kitchen cupboard.
Last, but not least in the trio is Multi Vit eggs, enriched with vitamins B12, D and A, all supporting a balanced diet. B12 assists in building healthy red blood cells and reduces overall fatigue, while vitamin D is vital for bones, teeth and muscles. Vitamin D Helps to underpin natural defenses against infection, Stonegate notes.
Treating yourself to two Multi Vit eggs will give you 82% of your recommended daily vitamin D intake and, at the same time, provide 266% of your recommended daily vitamin B12.
Growing concern
Research from market intelligence company Innova Market Insights indicates that one in four people globally has become more concerned about their immune health since the pandemic. Its 2020 Consumer Survey found that choosing foods naturally high in nutrients came third as a way of achieving immune health, behind getting enough sleep and being physically healthy.
“Immunity may become less top of mind as the immediate threat of the current pandemic subsides,” says Lu Anna Williams, Innova Global Insights director. “But if products are easy to integrate into daily lives and have established benefits, they are likely to continue to be sought after as part of the ongoing move to healthier lifestyles and the more proactive and holistic approach to health.”
Jay Painter, commercial director of the Enriched range notes that Stonegate’s goal with Enriched is to champion the power of healthy protein and provide a natural way for the public to improve its health.
The market for enriched eggs in the U.K. is thought to be worth almost 3% of the country’s organic egg market, valued at approximately GBP70 million (US$89 million), and has grown by a quarter over the last 12 months, according to statistics from a number of leading U.K. supermarkets.
The Enriched range of eggs is being retailed through the UK’s second-largest supermarket chain Sainsbury’s at a price of GPB1.99 for a box of six. The supermarket’s own-brand free-range organic eggs retail at GBP2.00 for six.
