I found myself standing in the egg section of my grocery store...completely confused. Which egg should i pick...conventional, cage-free, organic, omega 3 fortified, free range? These are just a few of the choices consumers are faced with when shopping for, what I thought, was simply an egg. I came across an article from the New York Times that helps to take the confusion out of egg purchasing.
First let's breakdown the chickens living conditions.
Cage-Free: Chickens are not confined in cages, however most are still confined in hen houses or large barns with thousands of other chickens.
Free Range: Chickens are not confined to cages, most are kept in barns or hen houses with continuous access to the outdoors through an open door. This does not mean that chickens actually go outside or what the conditions outside are like.
Pasture-Raised: This term is not regulated, however, it implies that chickens have access to the outdoors and forage for food while outside. This foraging adds bugs, worms, grubs, and greens to their diet in addition to chicken feed. Some say this adds to the flavor of the egg.
What are the chickens eating?
Organic: Eggs labeled organic come from chickens that are free range, not given antibiotics, and feed is free of animal byproducts and crops grown with chemical pesticides, fertilizers, or that have been genetic engineered. Make sure the carton is labeled with the USDA Organic symbol.
Omega 3 Enriched: These eggs contain about 200-300 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids. Eggs contain a greater amount of omega 3's because they are fed a diet enriched with ground flax, fish oil, and algae.
Vegetarian Fed: Hens are fed a completely vegetarian diet. However this is not a natural diet of chickens and there is no nutritional signifigance for this, it is a personal preference...however, since chickens naturally eat bugs and grubs, they are most likely kept inside to monitor a strict vegetarian diet.
Hormone Free: Hormones were banned in eggs in 1959. This is just a marketing technique.
Antibiotic Free: Antibiotics are not used often in commercial egg chickens due to the expense. Instead other measures such as vaccinations, genetic selection of healthy chickens, and limiting rodent and human contact are employed. Basically another marketing technique.
And finally color...which means nothing nutritionally and has no effect on taste. It just depends what chicken it came from.
I think I am going to try and find organic, pasture raised eggs....but who knows if that combination even exists!
First let's breakdown the chickens living conditions.
Cage-Free: Chickens are not confined in cages, however most are still confined in hen houses or large barns with thousands of other chickens.
Free Range: Chickens are not confined to cages, most are kept in barns or hen houses with continuous access to the outdoors through an open door. This does not mean that chickens actually go outside or what the conditions outside are like.
Pasture-Raised: This term is not regulated, however, it implies that chickens have access to the outdoors and forage for food while outside. This foraging adds bugs, worms, grubs, and greens to their diet in addition to chicken feed. Some say this adds to the flavor of the egg.
What are the chickens eating?
Organic: Eggs labeled organic come from chickens that are free range, not given antibiotics, and feed is free of animal byproducts and crops grown with chemical pesticides, fertilizers, or that have been genetic engineered. Make sure the carton is labeled with the USDA Organic symbol.
Omega 3 Enriched: These eggs contain about 200-300 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids. Eggs contain a greater amount of omega 3's because they are fed a diet enriched with ground flax, fish oil, and algae.
Vegetarian Fed: Hens are fed a completely vegetarian diet. However this is not a natural diet of chickens and there is no nutritional signifigance for this, it is a personal preference...however, since chickens naturally eat bugs and grubs, they are most likely kept inside to monitor a strict vegetarian diet.
Hormone Free: Hormones were banned in eggs in 1959. This is just a marketing technique.
Antibiotic Free: Antibiotics are not used often in commercial egg chickens due to the expense. Instead other measures such as vaccinations, genetic selection of healthy chickens, and limiting rodent and human contact are employed. Basically another marketing technique.
And finally color...which means nothing nutritionally and has no effect on taste. It just depends what chicken it came from.
I think I am going to try and find organic, pasture raised eggs....but who knows if that combination even exists!
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