Help Picking Out Healthy Eggs?

Eggs are back in, and with new scientific data showing that eggs are a nutritional powerhouse. Eggs were given a bad reputation, but they are on the rebound as researchers have found that dietary cholesterol does not impact blood cholesterol as much as they previously thought. (This is not medical advise please listen to your doctor or nutritionists if they suggest eliminating eggs, they know your situation much better, and they want you to be healthy). This rebound may inspire you to go buy eggs, but you get to the store and are hit with a swarm of confusion with the cartons covered in words like “cage-free,” “hormone-free,” “pasture-raised,” “farm fresh.” If you do not know what they mean buying eggs can leave you with a headache.

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I am attempting to help you make a more informed decision when buying eggs and clear up some of the confusion while you are at the store, and to give you some help to spot the difference between a marketing term and something that is regulated.

Before we jump into the terms, we first need to discuss the current chicken situation. The chicken are typically caged and the law requires that factory egg production give chickens a minimum space around the size of a  piece of paper depending on what state you live in. This size does not allow for much movement, but the chickens would be able to turn. Conventional eggs are typically minimize the space per chicken to which maximizes their space. This leads to  better profits for them and better prices for the consumer. The chickens are typically fed a mixture of corn, soy and cottonseed meal which is then filled with commercial additives. Conventional eggs are safe to eat and make a good choice of protein. However, researchers and evidence seem to point towards these chickens never go outside, are unable to spread their wings, are nutritionally inferior compared to other methods where there is more space for chickens and different food. Debeaking (practice to remove part of the beak, to stop chickens from pecking each other) and forced molting (method involves withdrawing food for a week or two weeks to increase egg production, sometimes water is also withdrawn(1)) are both typically practiced.

Common Terms:

• Brown eggs: No real difference in egg color on nutrition. There is a perception of brown eggs being healthier there is typically a price mark up when compared to white eggs that is not correlated to nutritional content in the eggs or any extra health of the chicken.  
• Antibiotic-free, Medication-free: Antibiotic-free claims on egg cartons can be only be made by egg producers who choose not to use any antibiotics in the feed or water during the growing period of young hens or while hens are laying eggs. Be weary this term is not very well regulated. It is not common for egg laying hens to receive antibiotics because of the effectiveness of current vaccines and other illness treating measures. This term is often used in marketing to increased egg prices, even though antibiotics are rarely used in the egg industry
• Hormone Free: This term is rather misleading, because it's illegal to give hormones to egg laying hens. Be aware of this marketing gimmick do not spend more because the carton says “Hormone Free” even egg cartons that do not have the label are hormone free.
• Cage-free: National standard not well defined, but the term usually means the hens are not in cages. Cage-free hens may have more room to walk and spread their wings, but the birds may still be subject to forced molting and debeaking. Janice Swanson co-authored a study comparing different environments typically used to produce eggs, found cage-free birds have more feathers and stronger bones and exhibit more natural behaviors. But crowded aviaries also come with increased risk of death to 10% compared to 4% compared to caged environments, increased risk from disease and pecking from other chickens.
• Free-range: National standard not well defined, generally the hens are not in cages, reside in a barn and have access to the outdoors. The extent of outdoor access is not defined. The amount of time and space provided is not mandated, and there’s no way of knowing whether the birds have actually gone outside. To be declared “free range”, the hens must be allowed access to the outdoors, but as is almost always the case with free range hens, the outdoor access is often just a small, fenced off patch of concrete outside. Most free range hens are effectively the same as cage-free hens.
• Farm Fresh or Fresh: Meaningless marketing term
• Fertile: The hens were living with roosters, likely cage-free
• Natural, All Natural: Meaningless marketing term. As regulated by the USDA, foods labeled “Natural” must be minimally processed and contain no artificial ingredients. All natural does not ensure that the hens are raised on nutritionally poor feed, just feed that hasn’t been artificially produced. It does not preclude the use of antibiotics or anything else in the hens, and there are no standard rules about chicken feed or living conditions. In some countries, the term “All Natural” is defined and enforced, but not so in the United States, “All Natural” is a marketing gimmick and you should not base your purchases off of this marketing term.
• Vegetarian-fed: This label simply designates that the chicken feed is simply all vegetarian feed, containing no animal products or byproducts in feed. This is perhaps the most confusing claim because chickens are not vegetarian.  Hens that are fed a "vegetarian diet" are probably eating corn fortified with amino acids. Eggs labeled “All Vegetarian Feed” are not pasture raised hens, as hens with access to pasture are free to forage for non-vegetarian foods such as grubs and insects. They're omnivores that, in the wild, get most of their protein from worms, grasshoppers and other insects.
• Omega-3 Fortified: The hens were fed either fish oil, algae, or flaxseed making their eggs are richer in omega-3 fatty acids. Chickens are better at converting ALA Omega-3s into DPA and EPA (these are the kind active in our bodies) than humans. These Omega-3 eggs have more omega-3, but be careful the term is unregulated, be sure to check the label to see how much and what type you are getting because this word does not mean you are getting a minimum dose of omega-3’s, but more than you would otherwise have in your egg.
• Pasteurized: The eggs were heated to about 110 degrees Fahrenheit for half an hour or longer. Eggs which are pasteurized, either as a whole eggs or as a liquid separated from the shell. Eggs which are pasteurized in their shells are pasteurized by being immersed in a water bath at specific temperatures for specific amounts of times, killing any food borne pathogens.
• Certified Organic: Organic eggs must come from chickens that are free-range (cage-free and outdoor access), fed organic feed (no synthetic pesticides, crops grown with chemical pesticides, fertilizers, irradiation, genetic engineering or sewage sludge) and receive no hormones or antibiotics. They may be debeaked and do forced molting/ starved. Organic eggs can be produced almost the same way as conventional eggs. Organic eggs aren’t necessarily more nutritious or safer from bacteria than other eggs; it depends on the sanitation conditions of that farm and other factors.
• Pasture-raised: Eggs laid from hens which have access to pasture (open grassland). Pasture-raised birds spend most of their life outdoors, with a fair amount of space plus access to a barn. Many are able to eat a diet of worms, insects and grass, along with corn feed (which may or may not be organic). There is a wide range of "pasture-raised" farms. Some have spacious fields; others are a bit crowded (some farms list the square footage per bird on their carton). Debeaking and starvation are still allowed.  According to a study in 2007 comparing a conventional egg, pasture-raised eggs contain:
  • 1/3 less cholesterol
  • 1/4 less saturated fat
  • 2/3 more Vitamin A
  • 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
  • 3 times more Vitamin E
  • 7 times more beta carotene (2)
    
• Certified Humane/Animal Welfare Approved:  an auditing third party organization (Certified Humane, Animal Welfare Approved, American Human Certified) assess egg farms based on animal welfare guidelines. A quick rundown:
  •  Animal Welfare Approved: Hens must be cage-free with continual access to outdoor perching and ability to engage in natural behaviors, such as nesting, spreading wings, dust bathing, etc. Beak cutting is prohibited. locks can be no greater than 500 hens. The hens are housed cage-free and must have continuous access to outdoor vegetation. Debeaking and starvation are prohibited, and the feed provided is vegetarian
  • Certified Humane "Pasture Raised": There highest level Pasture raised requires at least 6 hours a day of pasture access - the hens eat off the land, not just feed. Requirement is 108 sq. ft. per bird and the fields must be rotated. The hens must be outdoors year-round, with mobile or fixed housing where the hens can go inside at night to protect themselves from predators, or for up to two weeks out of the year, due only to very inclement weather. 
    
  • Food Alliance Certified: Hens are cage-free and must have access to outdoors or natural daylight. There are specific limits on the density of the bird population. Cage-free hens with access to outdoors for at least 8 hours a day. Debeaking is allowed but starvation is not.
    

Final thoughts when Picking Up Eggs:

• Figured out which eggs you want — Open up the egg carton and check for cracked eggs
• Grade AA eggs: have thick, firm whites and high, round yolks. Typically free of defects
• Grade A eggs: These eggs are the same quality as Grade AA except that the white is categorized as “reasonably” firm.
• Grade B eggs: are seldom found in retail stores because they are used to make liquid, frozen and dried egg products.
• Medium or small eggs: thicker shells than large eggs making them less likely to become contaminated by bacteria
• Look at the color of the egg yoke - typically a deep yellow = more nutrition
• Headed to the farmers market: Ask questions about their chickens, and their process. These eggs do not have a label to help and these eggs do not undergo strict USDA inspection to ensure their safety, but lots of people say they have the best flavor!

The Takeaway
The quality of our food is definitely important, and the treatment of the animals (God's creation is important). If our budget allows we should do our part to support proper treatment of all God's creations , because as they are getting closer to His design, it turns out to be healthier for us too.   Although eggs costing more  are not in everyone's budget, I at least want you to use your money effectively and spend money on terms that add value.
Recap of egg marketing terms that mean basically nothing:
    •    Hormone free
    •    All natural
    •    Antibiotic free
    •    All Vegetarian Feed
    •    Brown Eggs
Hope this helps. I know I was surprised, when I started looking this up. I thought cage free was a bigger step up, obviously I am talking abotu the minimum requirements, but unfortunately most companies do the minimum. Maybe the future regulations will impact the chickens and eggs more nutritionally. Overall there may not be as much of a difference between free-range eggs, cage-free eggs, and conventional eggs, the biggest jump appears at the pasture-raised level. Whether you buy conventionally raised, pasture raised eggs from the store or the farmers market, eggs are typically a healthy addition to your diet.

Hope you have an Eggscellent day!
<3 Jessica
#GIGAC


References:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forced_molting
2.https://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/eggs-zl0z0703zswa#axzz2vyTUnC7b