Unscrambling Organic Eggs

Eggs come in all sorts of colors, all sorts of packaging, and with all sorts of labels. Heading to the market, just to grab some eggs can be mighty confusing. Here’s the bare basics you need to choose the greenest egg.

THE LABELS YOU’LL SEE:

Cage Free: Cage Free means just that, exactly – hens not in cages. However, it doesn’t mean that hens aren’t crowded into another tight space or that the eggs are a more ethical choice. These hens might have a better life, but really who knows, all the label means is that the bird is not tucked in a cage.

Free Range (and or Cage Free): Sometimes you see these labels together. But since we already covered Cage Free, Free Range means that the hens are allowed to venture outside at times. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) “Approves ‘‘free range’’ raising claims on the labels of poultry products if the producer demonstrates that the birds were allowed continuous, free access to the outside for over 51% of their lives through a normal growing cycle.” However, Free Range is not an actual term used by any certifying party for eggs – it’s a meat only deal. There is no meaning behind “Free Range” eggs. No one checks up on this claim in the U.S.

Natural: Means NOTHING. Not legally anyhow.

Omega-3 enriched: These contain extra nutrients but it’s because of their feed. Just because an egg is Omega-3 enriched doesn’t make it more eco-friendly.

Certified Organic: This is the label you want. It means that the eggs come from hens who must be allowed to roam outside, they must be fed on an all organic vegetarian diet, they cannot be given or exposed to antibiotics (unless there’s a disease or illness outbreak) and these hens aren’t around pesticides or growth hormones.

PACKAGING:

No matter the egg, look for non-foam packaging, such as recycled and recyclable materials.

EGG COLORS:

Brown and white eggs cook the same, have the same nutrients, and taste the same. The main difference is they come from different breeds of hen. Aracauna eggs are bluish-green and are pretty much the same as  traditional white and brown eggs but the Aracauna eggs do have a higher cholesterol content. There are both brown and white organic eggs, but both are the same except for color.

TO SUM UP:

Buy organic eggs, from a local seller when possible, in any color, in recycled packaging and you’ll be good to go.

[image via stock.xchng]