What you need to know about buying eggs

by Expat Chef

Eggs can be found in several colors besides white or brown. The shells can be pink, speckled, blue or even green. The color of the eggshell has nothing to do with the flavor or the nutritional value of the egg. Both of these depend on the diet of the chicken, how it is raised and the freshness of the egg. There is a lot of confusion, however, with all the terms regarding eggs. Caged, Cage-free, Free Range, Pastured, Vegetarian-Fed, High-Omega-3 … what does it all mean?

The information out there does not make the learning curve any easier. For example, the American Egg Board, sponsored by industrial chicken and egg farming, states that “The nutrient content of eggs is not affected by whether hens are raised free-range or in floor or cage operations.”

by Expat Chef

Eggs can be found in several colors besides white or brown. The shells can be pink, speckled, blue or even green. The color of the eggshell has nothing to do with the flavor or the nutritional value of the egg. Both of these depend on the diet of the chicken, how it is raised and the freshness of the egg. There is a lot of confusion, however, with all the terms regarding eggs. Caged, Cage-free, Free Range, Pastured, Vegetarian-Fed, High-Omega-3 … what does it all mean?

The information out there does not make the learning curve any easier. For example, the American Egg Board, sponsored by industrial chicken and egg farming, states that “The nutrient content of eggs is not affected by whether hens are raised free-range or in floor or cage operations.”

This statement can be true, but not always, and it is incredibly misleading. The problem is the use of the term free-range. You see, a chicken that has access to the outdoors is free-range or cage free, but this chicken may live in a pen and its diet may be the same commercial feed as a caged, factory farm chicken.

Chickens who live in “cage and floor operations” have some of the worst living conditions of any large scale livestock farming. They are often force molted to increase egg production. Force molting is achieved by staving the chicken for five to fourteen days. The stress causes the chicken to lay more eggs temporarily. Just by supporting free-range chicken and egg production, we would be making a better choice. This choice may not greatly increase the nutrition content of the egg, however.

The nutrition of an egg is primarily determined by the chickens’ diet. A chicken that is free-range and has access to pasture and a natural diet of bugs and grass in addition to non-commercial grain produces eggs that are higher in Omega-3 and other nutrients.

Factory farmed eggs can be made higher in Omega-3 and some nutrients by supplementing the chickens’ diet with things like flax seed. These are more nutritious eggs than conventional factory farm eggs, but not a true substitute for the eggs produced from a pastured chickens’ natural diet.

A good clue to the nutritional content of an egg is the color of the yolk. The deep orange color often seen in a naturally produced egg yolk is related to the chickens’ diet. If the diet includes yellow and orange plant pigments called xanthophylls, the yolk will be deep yellow-orange. If the diet is low in these pigments, the yolk can be almost colorless.

The yolk holds all of the egg’s vitamin content including six B vitamins, as well as vitamins A, D, and E. The yolk also contains the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin and trace amounts of carotene, phosphorus, iron, and magnesium.

The American Egg Board’s claim of equality also does not address any differences in egg nutrition for a chicken on a diet of commercial feed and antibiotics for “floor and cage operations” versus a chicken raised cage free without antibiotics and not fed commercial feed. Commercial feed often contains animal by-products such as bone, feathers, blood, manure and animal parts.

These “animal by-products” are often from beef. This is the same ingredient that has been banned from commercial feed for beef cattle because of concerns over Mad Cow disease. Ironically, the “meat by-product” now used for the protein source in commercial cattle feed is chicken by-products and feather meal. So, which comes first? The chicken that eats the cow, or the cow that eats the chicken?

What I learned from all this is that the ideal egg would be one from a chicken that has unlimited access to pasture and a natural diet of grasses and bugs in addition to grain that has not been supplemented with antibiotics or animal by-products. You can’t find these eggs in most grocery stores. You have to find the farmer or a grocery store that sources quality local eggs.

The Eat Well site has a great guide to what you should ask your local farmer when sourcing eggs, but here are a few important questions to ask so you can be sure you are getting the best eggs possible for you, and for the chicken:

1. Are chickens allowed a natural and varied diet along with grain?
2. How much access to pasture do the chickens have? How long do they get to be outdoors?
3. Have producer describe "cage-free" conditions, or best yet, visit the farm
4. Is the feed free of animal by-products and vegetarian? What type of feed is the chickens’ diet supplemented with?
5. Is the feed supplemented with high Omega-3 sources like flax seed?
6. Was the chicken ever fed antibiotics?
7. Was the chicken ever force molted?

Comments

[the personal farmer]

.......and chickens raised on "a natural diet of grasses and bugs in addition to grain that has not been supplemented with antibiotics or animal by-products" tastes better too!

[Phil Westwood]

You're spot on with your comments. On many large commercial so-called 'free range' farms the hens are treated little better than on the factory farms.
We run a small operation with around 800 hens in flocks of about 200. They are never locked up and have totally free access to pasture anytime they feel like it. Each flock has its own Maremma guard dog to protect the hens friom predators.
Have a look at our website: www.freeranger.com.au and our blog at http://freerangereggs.blogspot.com

[Expat Chef]

It does taste better! Thanks, both of you for taking time to comment. I found so many people confused about all the egg-buying terms, that I thought a bit of research was in order.

BTW, I have heard many good things about the local food availability in Australia. Something about most organic farming acreage of any country. Plus wine. Oh my. I may have to move.

[Emily]

It's funny - when I started eating organic free-range eggs, I didn't notice a taste difference. I never really liked eggs as a kid, so eggs usually just went into cakes and such. Then I started eating the organic eggs in omelettes and scrambles, and found I was actually starting to like eggs.

After a couple years, I once had to buy commercial eggs because the co-op was closed, and *yeuch!* They were watery and had that nauseating sulfur smell I so detested in eggs as a kid. So even though I didn't notice a big difference in taste at first, I can't go back because the difference is so apparent now.

[ExPat Chef]

There is a real difference in flavor and nutrition (given the right diet for the chicken). Thanks for the comment.

[Mark R Melton]

I enjoyed your posts and raise a small flock of layers and meat birds (9) meat and (~21) layers.

I have another question. What effect does the chickens eating mushrooms have on meat and egg flavor. We had a lot of mushrooms this year on our property and they love them.