It is unbelievable that fake eggs is a common manner in China!! Many people invented fake things to earn money as fast as possible. Based on my research, fake egg's shell is made from calcium carbonate. "Egg yolk" and "egg white" are made of sodium alginate, alum, gelatin, eatable calcium chloride, lactone, benzoic acid, water, and food colouring. To make an "egg white", sodium alginate is dissolved in warm water and mix with gelatin and benzoic acid, alum, and other chemicals. Mix them into egg white like shape. "Egg yolk" is just adding the lemon yellow food colouring and then pour into a mold which has egg yolk like shape. After that, put "egg yolk" into calcium chloride water to let the "egg yolk" appears to have a thin layer of membrane. This membrane formed around the "egg yolk" is to stabilize the shape. Transfer the "egg yolk" and "egg white" into a plastic mold and soak into the liquid of calcium chloride to stabilize the shape. "Egg shell" is made of paraffin wax, gypsum powder and calcium carbonate. Melt the paraffin wax and mix with gypsum powder and calcium carbonate; surrounding the "whole egg" with the mixture of paraffin wax, gypsum powder and calcium carbonate, then leave it cool and dry. A artificial egg is completed!
The materials used to make a artificial egg are all chemicals. These chemicals have side effects to our body if consume it. Lactone which acts as a solidifier of the "egg yolk" and "egg white" can cause metabolism disorder. Benzoic acid which used as preservative can be harmful to our brain and nervous system and may cause liver disease and Alzheimer's disease. Calcium chloride which formed the thin membrane to stabilize the shape and alum which function as softener may cause nerve and liver disease. They may also affect the ability to produce blood. Therefore, if we consume too much artificial egg for a long time, we will suffer from diseases.
Although artificial eggs are similar with genuine eggs, we still can identify which is fake and which is genuine. However, it is hard for us to identify those traits. Below are the features of a fake egg:
1. After opening the egg, fake "egg white" and "egg yolk" will soon mix together. This is because the "egg yolk" and "egg white" are made of the same raw materials.
2. Fake egg's shell is a little shinier than the real one, but it is not very noticeable.
3. When touch the fake egg by hand, it feels a little rougher than the real egg.
4. Real egg smells a little like raw meat.
5. When tap the egg lightly, real egg makes a more crispy sound than the fake egg.
6. When frying a fake egg, the yolk will spread without being touched.
7. Fake eggs are larger than real eggs.
