Are Expensive Eggs Really “Best” for You?
Of all the products I buy on a regular basis, the price of eggs fluctuates the most. They can cost two dollars for 18 or seven whole US dollars for a dozen—quite a large discrepancy for a fairly basic meal.
Egg cartons have many words printed all over them, and the presence of some of them seems to affect the price of eggs more than others, notably “organic” and “free range.” You can read all about what these words actually mean here , but even with that knowledge, it can be hard to know if the more expensive eggs are “worth it,” especially if you’re trying to feed yourself or your family on a budget.
Are expensive eggs better for you?
To really answer this question, you have to do a lab test comparing all the different brands of egg on the shelf. I personally don’t have time for that (nor access to a lab), but this recent article from the CBC Marketplace doesn’t provide a few interesting data points to consider:
Trading at random bought two cartons of each of several types of eggs from 14 brands from grocery stores across the Greater Toronto Area. In all, the team sent 29 dozen eggs to an accredited food science laboratory to test levels of cholesterol, protein and omega-3s, as well as vitamins A, D and E.
Levels of omega-3 fatty acids were consistently higher in organic eggs:
In all cases, organic eggs had higher levels of omega-3s compared to their conventional counterparts. There was an average of 0.13 grams of omega 3 in one large organic egg compared to approximately 0.05 grams for regular eggs.
But with that exception, an “organic” egg, especially from a major producer, does not guarantee a more nutritious egg, especially when compared to regular eggs from the same brand:
On average, there were also no big differences between cheap regular eggs and more expensive organic ones sold by the same brands… In fact, in some cases, regular eggs had higher levels of certain vitamins than their organic counterparts. This was the case for Naturegg’s Burnbrae Organic Eggs versus the cheaper Prestige Burnbrae Eggs, and Organics’ choice of eggs in President’s Loblaw versus Loblaw No Egg Name. When it came to Sobeys Bonus Eggs, there was more vitamin E in regular than organic, but Gray’s Organic Goldegg’s LH had more vitamin D than the cheaper Gray Ridge Premium eggs.
None of the named brands are sold in the United States, but this evidence suggests that the organic labels on egg packaging are no guarantee that the hens who laid them were fed more nutritious food. In Canada and the United States, the “organic” label does not necessarily dictate what type of food the chicken has access to.
According to organicconsumers.org , the USDA’s “National Organic Program” requires organic eggs “come from chickens that are raised cage-free, fed an organic diet grown without pesticides, managed without antibiotics or hormones, and have seasonal outdoor access. »
In Canada , “Organic eggs come from hens raised in a free-range system with outdoor range. These chickens are fed certified organic feed, and the farmers follow Canadian Organic Standards as regulated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency .”
Neither country specifies that chickens must be fed for their eggs to be certified, only that everything they eat must be “raised without pesticides.” There’s no guarantee the hens fed on birth changed, nutritious diets that could translate into more nutritious eggs.
The farm size seems to be more than organic on the label
Much of a company’s job involves cutting costs while maximizing profits, and large companies tend to be especially ruthless about this. Organic labels don’t tell us all that much about an individual chicken’s quality of life or access to a variety of foods. Flock size and access to open space seem to have a more direct effect on nutrition, and a CBC Marketplace study found eggs from small farms were more nutritious overall:
Small farmed organic eggs averaged 3.25 mg of vitamin E per large egg, about 20 percent of the daily recommended value. Large brand organic eggs averaged 2.16 mg of vitamin E. Vitamin D levels in small farmed organic eggs averaged 31.65 IU, which is about five percent of the daily recommended value. In a large brand of organic eggs, this average is 20.50 IU.
Small farmed organic eggs also had about one gram more protein per large egg than eggs sold by big brands and had slightly less cholesterol.
What does all of this mean?
Paying more for eggs doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting a more nutritious egg, especially if you’re buying organic eggs from big companies. Eggs from small farms are likely to be more nutritious as hens are more likely to enjoy a more varied diet and are more likely to go outside (and maybe enjoy a worm or two) and this usually results in “better” egg. (And more expensive).
A pasture-raised egg is more likely to be more nutritious than a super cheap factory-raised egg, but even the cheapest egg contains protein and vitamins, and eats a couple of eggs, no matter how cheap-rarely a bad choice, health-wise (if you really watch your cholesterol, I think).
There is no ethical consumption under capitalism, but I still try to buy eggs from vendors who treat their chickens with the utmost care ( this rating chart is helpful in that regard), and I have found that the yolks of these eggs tend to taste good. richer than super cheap eggs, even when mixed with recipes like mashed potatoes or homemade mayonnaise .
If you really want the “best” eggs, do a little research, do a few taste tests, and choose the egg that suits your taste and budget. Just don’t assume “organic” means “better for you”, especially if your organic eggs came from a large corporate mega farm.