The incredible, edible egg. It’s seemingly one of the simplest, most real foods around. But take one step into the egg section and you’ll discover the process of finding a high-quality egg is more complicated than you thought. Misleading labels. Dozens of options. Unregulated terminology. No wonder we’re all confused.
If you’re like me, you want delicious eggs with golden yolks from happy chickens. And you want your food dollars to support farmers who are doing it right. It’s that simple.
Let’s learn how!
LABEL BASICS: TERMINOLOGY
Cage Free | This sounds better than it is. Eggs labeled “cage free” are from chickens who may not even see the light of day … ever. Despite not being in a cage, they’re likely packed into indoor houses with little room to roam or stretch their wings (an average of only 1.2 square feet per chicken). They must, however, have spaces (scratch pads, perches, nests) to express some of their natural behaviors. Since they’re indoors, these birds are given feed (grains, corn, soybeans) which may or may not be organic. In short: Don’t waste your precious food dollars on this.
Free Range | This isn’t much better. With eggs labeled “free range,” the chickens had access to the outdoors but with little-to-no regulation around when or how long, or how large the area to roam about was. Similar to “cage free,” these birds must have access to scratch pads, perches and nests, and would likely eat a diet of feed unless given more access to the outdoors. All of this is dependent on the individual farm or production facility. In short: Not worth the risk.
Pasture Raised | “Pasture raised” eggs guarantee the bird had at least 108 square feet to roam outside in the pasture. Although they may still be given feed, the chickens likely had a diet that included bugs and plants too. (You’ll know the chickens ate more worms, critters and greens by seeing bright orange yolks.) In short: Look for this on the label!
USDA Organic | Eggs labeled with the green-and-white USDA organic seal were produced by chickens fed organic feed (no GMOs or harmful pesticides) and have not been given antibiotics. “Organic” has nothing to do with the amount of space to roam and the birds may or may not have been given the freedom to go outside. It does, however, guarantee the chickens were not confined to cages. In short: As long as the eggs are pasture raised, grab the organic!
Certified Humane | While there are other animal welfare certifying organizations, “Certified Humane” has the most rigorous standards for farm animal treatment. Farmers must provide cage-free living with space for the chickens to express their natural behaviors (pecking for seeds and bugs, perching, roaming, etc.). Higher-quality feed is also used. Look for the green, white and blue logo that says “CERTIFIED HUMANE.” In short: This seal means well-treated, happy chickens. Snag it!
IGNORE THESE TERMS
Some terms mean absolutely nothing; they’re there to distract you, lure you in and lead you to believe you’re buying a high-quality egg, when you actually aren’t. Ignore these:
- All-natural
- Animal friendly
- Farm fresh
- Happy hens
- Naturally raised
- No hormones
- Real
THE BOTTOM LINE: WHAT TO BUY
I could go seven layers deeper into egg labels but as you know, I like simple! So here are your good-better-best options for buying eggs:
GOOD: “Pasture Raised” (from the store)
BETTER: “Pasture Raised” with the USDA Organic and Certified Humane seals (from the store)
BEST: Visit your local farmer’s market to pick up the freshest eggs around! Make sure to ask the farmer about the living conditions on the farm and the birds’ diets. Never assume a farmer is following proper practices simply because it’s a small-scale production.
Happy chickens lay the best eggs. And now you know how to navigate the egg section with confidence!
