Most of us have already figured out, if we have chosen to eat eggs, that cheap “supermarket” or “conventional” eggs are a bad idea – for both our bodies, our planet – and quality of life for the chickens that lay them. But buying eggs that are healthy and sustainable exposes us to a host of marketing labels that, in many cases, mean nothing. And, we are only talking about 5-6% of all eggs consumed in the US since the rest are from caged hens. While there are many, many kinds of eggs, for this discussion we will focus on chicken eggs (and still there are many varieties).
So let’s spend a minute with the vocabulary:
All-Natural – means absolutely nothing. These hens are usually housed in battery cages, fed GMO corn and other feed (often including animal byproducts) in a barn that might contain a million chickens.
Cage-Free – the birds have about 1.2 to 1.5 sq. ft. of floor space (up from less than 0.8 sq. ft. for conventionally-raised hens) and no access to the outdoors. While they can spread their wings a bit and move around, they are fed cheap GMO grain. The FDA does not have absolute guidelines on this.
No Hormones or Antibiotics –All chickens are homone-free as required by Federal regulation. While there are some antibiotics approved by the FDA for chicken farmers, to use this label the famer can use none.
Omega-3 enriched – These hens are basically conventionally raised (unless the label specifies cage-free) but their feed is supplemented with flax seeds or some other omega-3 source. This reduces arachidonic acid (an inflammatory omega-6 fatty acid) by about 39% and adds about five times as much omega-3 fatty acid as conventionally-raised chickens.
Free-Range – This label has no USDA oversight. In general, the birds have a minimum of 2 sq. ft. and access to the outside – but that can mean that there is a door someplace in that huge barn with access to a small patch of dirt or a screened, cement-floored space. They still live with many thousands of other birds, and, in reality, never see the outdoors. Plus they can still be de-beaked.
Organic – The hens are fed certified organic feed, have been exposed to no antibiotics and, as required of all chickens, have not been treated with hormones. They cannot be caged and must have outdoor access. But, the barns can still contain a couple hundred thousand birds and there are still loopholes – the USDA permits screened porches in lieu of “outside”.
Pasture-raised – This label also does not have any government oversight, so asking questions and checking out suppliers before spending $6-8/dozen would be wise. In theory (and most practice) the birds have about 108 sq.ft. of space to live – they are essentially allowed to roam free – pecking in the dirt to eat their natural diet, insects, along with some commercial feed (usually organic). Note that grain is about 85% of their diets in summer and 100% in winter. So confirming that the hens’ feed is organic is key. Another important very positive variable is mobile housing: the hens are moved periodically throughout their extensive pasture. Generally, their eggs contain less saturated fat, are lower in cholesterol and delivered more vitamin A, omega-3s, vitamin E and vitamin D (from roaming in the sun) than industrially-farmed eggs – plus six grams of protein and a whole lot less salmonella.
The highly respected Cornucopia Institute rates many products – including organic eggs. For their scorecard http://whttpsww.cornucopia.org/scorecard/eggs/