Cracking The Shell Of

Those Confusing Egg Designations

By Nancy K. Crevier

Easter means dyeing eggs and dyeing eggs means buying eggs.

It is not so simple to buy a dozen eggs anymore, though. Local eggs, organic eggs, cage-free eggs, farm-raised eggs, free-range eggs, omega-3 eggs, and biodynamic eggs stack the cooler at the grocery store. Eggs free of antibiotics, fertilized eggs, natural eggs and on the other end of the spectrum, irradiated eggs, offer the consumer still more options.

Like so many other products today, a trip to the supermarket for a dozen eggs can turn into a quagmire of questions and confusion. It is not that a choice other than chicken eggs is likely; nor is it trying to decide between large and extra large or brown or white eggs that muddies the waters. It is selecting the politically correct egg that leaves you in a quandary.

The popularity of the humble egg has risen and fallen through the years. Once touted as “nature’s perfect protein,” for many years the image of the egg was tainted by reports that a high cholesterol content made them unacceptable to a healthy diet. In recent years, it has been realized that family history has more impact on heart health than the occasional egg added to the diet. The nutritional value and low cost of eggs has returned them to their former glory, but the quest for healthier, more sensitive choices has added a new dimension to egg shopping.

All eggs, whether plain old eggs from hens raised on conventional poultry farms and costing under $2 a dozen or high-end eggs with fancy labels and equally fancy pricing, are high in protein, vitamin B12, iron and folacin. Is it worth paying the extra dollar or two per dozen for perceived peace of mind? What do all of the special designations mean?

Organic and biodynamic labels are two of the more meaningful descriptions assigned to eggs. Under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic rule, buyers can be assured that products labeled “USDA Organic” are produced to specific production and handling requirements. An organic egg is the product of hens fed feed that is free of pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides as well as with no commercial fertilizers used on that feed. The nutritional content of an organic egg does not differ from that of eggs from hens raised on conventional chicken feed.

Certain agricultural standards are used to raise poultry under the auspices of biodynamic farming. Hens are raised as naturally as possible, meaning they are given access to the outdoors, never fed growth promoters or antibiotics, and are vegetarian fed. Hens that lay biodynamic eggs are also not debeaked in captivity, nor are they force molted to increase laying capacity. If a kinder, more gentler egg is on the shopping list, look for the biodynamic label.

Health conscious consumers may opt for the omega-3 egg, produced by feeding hens a flaxseed enhanced diet. Flaxseed grain is high in omega-3 fatty acids, known to reduce blood triglyceride levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. Eggs from hens fed on this diet are higher in omega-3 fatty acids, but otherwise remain nutritionally comparable to any other egg.

Fertile eggs, more costly and more difficult to come by, often top the list for those seeking high quality nutrition. But according to the USDA, there is no evidence that fertilized eggs are superior to nonfertilized eggs.

Other egg attributions are not so easy to pin down. Legal definitions do not exist for most. Eggs from cage-free hens, for example, can mean the hen house has a small porch open to fresh air or that the chickens actually are allowed outdoors. How much time the poultry spends outdoors is another variable from farm to farm. Eggs from free-range or farm-raised hens also do not guarantee that the bird spends any particular amount of time in the wild. While access to the outdoors exists for free-range chickens, the time outside allotted may be minimal or the bird may choose not to go outdoors. As with cage-free eggs, the implication of free range varies with every farm.

Because no system of verification is in place in the United States, a “natural” egg could be nothing other than one from a conventionally raised hen, implying only that nothing was added to the egg itself. Eggs might be free of antibiotics, but that designation does not tell the whole truth, unless it is also an organic egg. The hen that laid an antibiotic-free egg may have dined on a pesticide and fungicide-laced meal.

The Federal Drug Administration contends that irradiation of food is not harmful to the consumer. Irradiated eggs are subjected to x-rays that decrease levels of bacteria and extend shelf life. Organic food proponents maintain that food quality is negatively affected by irradiation and that vitamins and minerals are compromised when food undergoes irradiation. The long-term effects of consuming irradiated foods have not been studied. When properly refrigerated eggs remain fresh for up to a month without irradiation, is there a need for longer lasting eggs?

It is a daunting laundry list of questions to contemplate.

Peter Cottontail will soon come hopping down the bunny trail with his basket full of colored eggs to distribute Easter morning. Aside from wondering why a rabbit is in charge of egg delivery and how he came into their possession, now the question arises: what kind of eggs did Peter color?

Take your pick.