Egg yolk plasma: Separation, characteristics and future prospects

- Egg yolk technology is currently an innovative and expanding sector.
- Plasma properties have shown that it can be potentially used in food applications.
- Yolk plasma is a source of ingredients for applied science.

Egg yolk is a complex system comprising a variety of particles in suspension in a clear yellow fluid (plasma). Although the individual constituents of yolk are difficult to separate, hen egg yolk can be easily fractionated by simple dilution and centrifugation into sedimented granules and plasma. Each egg yolk fraction could possibly offer new pathways in applied science. In fact, the observed differences between plasma and granules indicate that there is scope for more efficient or more specific use of these fractions compared to whole egg yolk. This review provides an update which focuses specifically on egg yolk plasma, providing a description of its constituents and functionalities and future possibilities for its use in the egg industry.