Dr. Jeong Sim

Over the past 30 years, consumption of eggs in Canada has declined rapidly. The image of an egg as a nutritional food has eroded somewhat, with varying and often controversial claims about cholesterol levels in the human diet. As a result, researchers worldwide have begun to explore new product ideas and innovative processing technologies.

Dr. Jeong Sim, a Professor of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science at the University of Alberta, came up with one solution to the culinary dilemma. His creation, the Canadian Designer Egg, is enriched with omega-3 fatty acids; usually found in fish, they may reduce the risk of heart attacks and improve brain function. Most Canadians are grossly deficient of these fatty acids.

The designer egg is protected by trade-secret, a way of guarding intellectual property, as infringement of this particular invention would be difficult to prevent and expensive to stop. The egg has been produced and marketed around the world for over 10 years, and its success has helped Dr. Sim establish his own spin-off company, Ovo-biotechnica Inc.

A tireless and enthusiastic researcher, Dr. Sim says "a research program to diversify egg use has been part of my research activities for many years." A research contract with the Canadian Egg Manufacturers’ Association produced the notion of eggs as an oil crop. One of his most recent inventions, therefore, uses eggs as a source of oil. "I have to prove that eggs are a good oil crop," he says, "and egg oil is nutritionally unique."

Much of the information on this page is from "Patent Portraits, A Celebration of Inventions and Patents from the University of Alberta," published in 1996 by the Office of the Vice-President (Research and External Affairs) in collaboration with the Industry Liaison Office, now known as the Research Services Office.

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