10.2. - Tom Hill Eggs and Dairy

• Eleven of the twelve studies reviewed found that dairy supplementation does not appear to increase bone accrual in children, with some suggesting that milk avoidance may increase fracture risk.

• The key findings from these studies suggest that further research is needed to determine the specific effects of dairy on bone health.

• Vitamin D is important for bone health and has many benefits for other parts of the body.

• There is limited evidence that milk or yoghurt enriched with calcium and vitamin D has favourable effects on bone health in comparison with other treatment groups.

• The evidence for a beneficial role of unfortified dairy consumption in promoting bone health is moderate for children and adolescents and limited in adults.

• In July 2016, a new RNI of 10 µg/day was introduced for people aged 4 years and above. This means that the majority of people in the UK are not getting the recommended amount of vitamin D.

• Sunshine Egg is a novel and healthier vitamin D enriched food that is commercially focused.

• The Catalyst offers funding for private sector/academic collaborative research and development projects.

• One of the UK’s leading centres for research into poultry science, human nutrition and consumer behaviour is involved in this project.

• There were no significant changes in total vitamin D content for the flocks on the low and medium treatments. However, the high treatment group had a significant increase in total vitamin D content compared to the baseline. Egg yolk vitamin D at week 6 correlated with whole egg vitamin D content.

• Noble Foods has reformulated its leading egg brand, Happy Egg, to contain nearly 30% more vitamin D than standard eggs, without additional cost to the consumer.

• The brand is the UK's market leader in free-range eggs with 15% of the market share.

• Noble Foods produces circa. 350 million eggs per year.

• Bought by 5.9 million households in the UK.

This quiz covers findings from studies on dairy supplementation, the importance of vitamin D for bone health, and developments in vitamin D enriched foods such as Sunshine Egg and Happy Egg. It also touches on funding opportunities and research involvement in the field of poultry science and human nutrition.