Aussie shopper's startling discovery in everyday grocery item: 'This is rare'

An Aldi shopper has struck yolk gold, sharing a rare egg phenomenon that has sent social media into ova-drive. Just a week after cracking four consecutive double-yolk eggs from a 700g carton of Aldi free-rangers, she discovered an egg in her next carton with a triple yolk.

"Last week I posted about the chances of cracking four eggs, each being a double yolker," the customer shared with the Aldi Mums Facebook group, along with a picture of both last week's eggs and her most recent find. "Today I got the trifecta!" The accompanying image shows an egg in the pan with three yolks. "Definitely Aldi's best buy!" she joked.

The post quickly captured attention, prompting an outpouring of astonishment from group members.

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"You need to buy a lottery ticket, this is rare!" exclaimed one commenter, while another remarked, "They say it's good luck to crack twins, let alone triplets!"

"I always buy Aldi eggs and never get a double... a triple though! Wow! You are lucky!" chimed in another member. These responses hint at a widely held belief that cracking open a 'double yolker' brings good fortune and prosperity.

"That must have been a giant egg before you cracked it," laughed yet another member.

The disbelief was shared across the board, with someone noting, "I've never seen a triple yolker before!" and another cheekily quoting Aldi's tagline, "Good, different."

A seasoned hospitality worker added to the amazement, "I have worked as a cook in hospitality for well over 20 years and never in my days have I seen a triple yolk!"

How multiple yolk eggs are produced?

So, how do double and even triple yolk eggs come about? According to food scientist and nutrition researcher Dr. Vincent, these rare eggs result from irregularities in the egg formation process within a hen's reproductive system.

Speaking to Yahoo Lifestyle, Dr. Vincent explained that double-yolk eggs occur when a hen's ovary becomes overly productive, releasing two yolks instead of one—similar to the occurrence of human twins. "Technically, if fertilised, such eggs can theoretically develop into multiple chicks (like twins!), but this is extremely rare and usually not viable," Dr. Vincent said.

Typically, a hen's ovary produces one yolk per day. In the case of double yolkers, it produces two in quick succession. These yolks merge during the egg-laying process, resulting in a single egg with two yolks. Triple yolks are even rarer, following the same principle but involving three yolks.

According to Dr. Vincent, multiple yolks are more common in younger hens whose reproductive systems are still developing. Additionally, genetics can play a role, with some breeds of hens more prone to producing multiple yolks. Dr. Vincent also notes that factors like diet and stress can influence yolk release. "High-protein diets and certain environmental conditions might increase the likelihood of multiple yolks," he says. "Hormonal changes or imbalances can also cause more than one yolk to be released simultaneously."

Despite being considered a genetic anomaly, these eggs don't lose any nutritional value. Interestingly, the world record for the most yolks inside one eggshell is nine, making our shopper’s triple yolk find seem almost modest in comparison!

Odds of getting a double yolker

While the probability of finding a double-yolk egg is about one in 1,000, the odds of discovering more than one double-yolk egg in the same batch can be surprisingly high under the right circumstances. Aussie science guru Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki explained on ABC Radio National that several factors can increase the likelihood of encountering multiple double-yolk eggs.

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"First, double-yolk eggs are usually larger than single-yolk eggs," Dr. Karl noted. "Eggs are usually sold in the sizes of small, medium, and large. So if you find a double-yolk egg in a carton of large eggs, the chances are higher than normal that another double-yolk egg could be found." He also mentioned that eggs within a single carton are typically sourced from the same flock of chickens, often the same age, which raises the probability of multiple double-yolk eggs appearing if you've already found one.

So, next time you're at Aldi, keep your eyes peeled – you might just hit the yolk jackpot!

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