Dr Magdi Hassan, president of the veterinary college, stated that egg consumption is safe and natural, and dismissed the veracity of rumours about the presence of hormones. Hassan clarified that the egg forms inside the hen's body as part of a natural biological process without any external intervention.
According to exclusive statements to local media, the veterinarian explained that there are two types of egg: "table eggs" intended for human consumption and "hatching eggs" intended for chicken production. Producers of table eggs keep only females on their farms, with no males present, so the resulting eggs contain no embryos.
Hassan noted that table eggs do not fertilise when placed in an incubator, whereas hatching eggs require the presence of males in a proportion of one for every nine females to complete the fertilisation process. This second type is produced in the "breeding" sector dedicated to raising broiler chickens or to the production of more table eggs.
The veterinarian emphasised that talking of consuming "chicken embryo" when eating table eggs is incorrect and insisted on the need to differentiate between eggs intended for consumption and those intended for incubation. Regarding child consumption, Hassan assured that the egg is an important food for children and there is no reason for any restriction based on rumours about hormones or embryos, indicating that two eggs and a glass of milk provide significant nutrients for the child's health and natural growth.