Egg white is the common name for the clear liquid (also called the
albumen or the
glair/
glaire) contained within an
egg. In
chickens it is formed from the layers of secretions of the anterior section of the hen's
oviduct during the passage of the egg. It forms around
fertilized or unfertilized
egg yolks. The primary natural purpose of egg white is to protect the yolk and provide additional nutrition for the growth of the
embryo (when fertilized). Egg white consists primarily of about 90% water into which is dissolved 10%
proteins (including
albumins,
mucoproteins, and
globulins). Unlike the yolk, which is high in
lipids (fats), egg white contains almost no fat, and
carbohydrate content is less than 1%. Egg whites contain just over 50% of the protein in the egg. Egg white has many
uses in food (e.g.
mousse) and also many other uses (e.g. in the preparation of
vaccines such as
those for influenza).