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Today’s Healthy Monday Tip: Be an egg-head and know your labels.

This Healthy Monday post was written by Pooja Mottl.

Labels. They are truly becoming ubiquitous in the food industry. On even a quick run to your local grocery, you can’t pass an aisle without reading words like: “all natural”, “nitrate-free” or “gluten-free”. According to a recent report by Mintel, a global market research firm, the label “no additives or preservatives” was featured on nearly one quarter of new food products launched globally between January and September of this year.

Although these types of labels seem to be gaining ground due to consumers’ increasing demand for natural, safe and healthy food products, the labeling frenzy may at times confound rather than help the customer in making purchasing decisions.

I came across this dilemma firsthand while taking a stroll through my local Whole Foods Market in search of eggs. As I studied the labels of nearly five different boxes, I found that each box had something to say about how its eggs were better than the next. One such dozen advertised: “all natural”, “vegetarian feed”, “cage free hens”, “no antibiotics”, “DHA 75mg”, Omega-3 225 mg”, “USDA Organic”. And this was just one carton! Another box read: “no animal fat in feed”, “chickens roam freely in barns”, 75 mcg of folic acid”, “fed pure grains without the use of antibiotics” and “raised naturally”.

You see how this can get complicated! Here is a quick and dirty Egg Glossary to help us plod through the confusion.

Cage Free:

Cage Free simply means that egg-laying hens are not confined to battery cages (67 square inches of space) where they are denied their natural behaviors such as perching, spreading their wings and nesting. However, birds can also be called cage-free without ever being outdoors or “on pasture”. The USDA does not regulate this label. “Cage Free” must be differentiated from “Free Range”, a term that is defined by the USDA and used for poultry (chickens raised for consumption rather than egg-laying).

All Natural:

The “all natural” label, although quite popular, is not regulated by the US government or verified by third party inspectors. The Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA states that “natural” is defined by a product “containing no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed (a process which does not fundamentally alter the raw product)” and it must explain the use of the term by stating on its label phrases such as “no added colorings or artificial ingredients”, etc.

No Antibiotics or Hormones Administered:

These labels are defined by the USDA, but only for poultry, pork, beef and red meat, not eggs. Consequently there are no controlled guidelines or verification by third party inspectors.

Omega-3 of 225mg in Each Egg:

With the increasing awareness of the nutrient value of Omega-3 fatty acids, an increasing number of egg cartons contain this label. Most often it means that the hens were given a diet rich in flax seed – a good source of this fat. DHA, a type of Omega-3 fatty acid is also labeled similarly.

Vegetarian Fed/Organic Vegetarian Feed:

Again, this label is not defined by the USDA. Vegetarian fed simply means that the hens were given a diet containing no animal by-products. Grains (e.g. corn, wheat), silage, hay and similar vegetarian feed is common. Vegetarian fed does not guarantee that antibiotics or pesticides were not used in the production of the feed or that the feed was not genetically modified. Organic vegetarian feed, on the contrary, does.

75 mcg of Folic Acid:

Folate, a vital B vitamin, especially necessary for a healthy pregnancy, is present in eggs (mainly in the yolk). However, similar to the development of Omega-3 eggs, egg producers have opted to enrich eggs with folic acid by supplementing feed. Therefore, instead of the 24 mcg or so of folic acid you may receive from a standard egg, enriched eggs contain three times as much.

Although this glossary can help us in the short term, the proliferation and changing nature of marketing via the use of labels is increasing. In order to stay on top of the labeling sensation, continue to do your share of research! What is evident is the fact that multiple labels bundled together en masse, don’t necessarily equate to healthier, more nutritious, safer products for you. Furthermore, most USDA defined labels pertain to meat and poultry as opposed to eggs.

When in doubt, try sticking to the basics. Organic, pasture raised varieties of eggs are always best. For example, the claims “No antibiotics”, “cage free”, and “raised naturally” are all encompassed in these kinds of eggs. Due to the organic and sustainable methods used to raise hens, these eggs usually have higher levels of key nutrients like folate and riboflavin, terrific added benefits. So the next time you make a move for eggs, look out for these labels first while using your newfound Egg Glossary (not to mention the Sustainable Dictionary). You will save yourself time and headaches!