The Lowdown On Organic Cage Free Eggs

The Cornucopia Institute has just come out with the results of a research project on organic free range eggs that, if you eat eggs and buy organic cage free eggs, you should study carefully. Included in the report is a scorecard by producer on how well they meet the standards. Of  course, the right answer is to get your eggs from a local producer that treats its chickens properly. You may be able to find one using one of these two links:

• www.eatwild.com
• www.localharvest.org

Eggs are a really good food and can be a part of everyone's healthy diet but it is important know the quality of the eggs you buy and eat. An egg-testing project performed by Mother Earth News in 2007 found there were significant differences in nutrition between factory-farmed and organically raised eggs.
Compared to official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs, eggs from hens raised on pasture may contain:

• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene 

If you have ever been to Europe and eaten the eggs there, which are typically from small local producers you have seen the brilliant orange of the yolks compared to the pale yellow we see here in the states from the factory produced ones. Enough said.

P.S. As a bonus there is a report and scorecard on organic dairies at the Cornucopia website. You can also subscribe to their email newsletter if you are so inclined.