A type of greenish chicken eggs has become very popular in Turkey and it is being sold at a higher price than normal varieties because people believe it contains different types of vitamins and minerals, and is especially useful for babies and patients.
Turkish people have shown a remarkable interest in those eggs derived from a South American chicken because of their greenish color and say that it contains more vitamins and minerals than normal eggs.
"Greenish eggs are sold at a much higher price than local eggs," said Ibrahim Aijin, an egg merchant in Bursa, northwestern Turkey, noting that this is due to the common belief that it is beneficial for infants and patients.
He explained that the price of green eggs is higher because they come from a breed of South African chicken, pointing out that the price of one green egg is up to 7.5 Turkish lira (about two dollars), while a local egg costs between 50 pounds and one lira (12.5 - 25 cents).
The blue eggs are of another type that has recently spread in the country, and it is also reported to have a different content than white and brown eggs. The eggs also come from rare chicken breeds in Turkey raised by amateurs. Reportedly, one of its most important characteristic is its ability to drop cholesterol levels in blood.
Green and blue eggs were not widely spread, with some citizens buying their own chickens and keeping them in their ow
n farms or fields. However, recently, these colored eggs have been widely produced in farm production lines. Blue eggs are higher in demand than green eggs due to their scarcity and larger size.
It is nothing more than a lie that controls people’s minds, Dr. Mustafa Tayar, a professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Uludağ University in Bursa, told the Anadolu Agency. He explained that green or blue eggs are no more than normal eggs deriving from South American chicken breeds, and they don’t contain any different or better minerals or vitamins.
Tayar pointed out that the content of green eggs and regular local eggs is the same, and said the claims about containing rich minerals and vitamins are a «myth», pointing out that the color of the eggshell varies according to the chicken breed, and does not add any other characteristics or specifications.
