Should I be interested in the different types of egg options
I have when I go to the store to buy them?
Currently I’ve been buying cage free eggs, although I haven’t been buying the ones that have an omega sign written all over them as I figure I take fish oil. I also heard that the whole omega-3 in eggs is a bit of a scam (they say X grams of omega-3 per egg, but only a small amount of this is actually DHA/EPA, less than what’s in a small fish oil dose).
So my question is, should I care about the different types or should I just make sure I get any type of egg?
If price is a concern, go with what you can afford. If price isn’t a concern, go with the cage free unless you just have to have the omega 3 enriched eggs. I say this only if you are taking a goodly amount of fish oil (enough for what you need).
In the US, there is a ban on giving poultry hormones or antibiotics, so by definition all eggs are this way. Cage free is basically an unregulated term, so its value is debatable. Omega-3 eggs have at least been fed a better diet than regular eggs, so if cost is not an object, that’s probably the best bet.
Cage free eggs usually mean that the chickens have been debeaked and run around in a giant filthy barn all day. Some producers let the chickens wander in fenced yard a few hours a day, but nobody is really checking up on these claims. But this is a marked improvement over caged hens, who spend most of their lives cramped into tiny cages that allow little room for movement.
Omega 3 eggs appear to be a scam. Federal regulators are currently considering action against the companies selling them because they often contain very little EPA or DHA and don’t offer the claimed health benefits.
All natural/hormone free eggs applies to all poultry products in America. Don’t ever pay extra for all-natural poultry.
I have never been able to find any proof that there’s any difference between organic eggs and other Omega-3 eggs. They’re almost always also marketed as being high in Omega-3, it seems likely that these are the same Omega-3 eggs with a higher price and that all Omega-3 hens are getting organic feed. Or that there’s simply nobody regulating the application of “organic” to eggs.
Free-range eggs come from small farms where the chickens roam in large coops and live in big henhouses. They’re great if you can afford $4.50-$5.00 a dozen. They taste the best. But cook them through because they can contain parasites. If you have a yard you can even buy a cheap chicken coop (less than $200), a few hens, and get your own eggs.
I have never been able to find any proof that there’s any difference between organic eggs and other Omega-3 eggs. They’re almost always also marketed as being high in Omega-3, it seems likely that these are the same Omega-3 eggs with a higher price and that all Omega-3 hens are getting organic feed. Or that there’s simply nobody regulating the application of “organic” to eggs.
[quote]slimthugger wrote:
bulldog24 wrote:
In the US, there is a ban on giving poultry hormones or antibiotics,
Are you sure about that? I’m not convinced.
[/quote]
That’s interesting, thanks for posting it. That one might hinge on what is classified as an antibiotic. But AFAIK antibiotics are still illegal in poultry and “antibiotic-free” poultry still says so in the fine print. I’ll have to read up more.
I have never been able to find any proof that there’s any difference between organic eggs and other Omega-3 eggs. They’re almost always also marketed as being high in Omega-3, it seems likely that these are the same Omega-3 eggs with a higher price and that all Omega-3 hens are getting organic feed. Or that there’s simply nobody regulating the application of “organic” to eggs.
I see a huge difference in the color of the yolk.
[/quote]
very true, it actually has color when their organic
Cage free simply means they have access to the outdoors it does NOT mean they ever go outside. Picture 100’s of chickens indoors with a small door to the outside and a small fenced in area for them to go to.
I would find local farmers and buy a dozen eggs from each of them and one from the supermarket.
Crack open one egg from each and see what the yolk looks like. Buy your eggs from the one that looks the brightest orange.
If anyone has the time Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma
is a good read.
bill