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What Do Ethics Have to Do with the Price of Eggs? By Jennie L. Phipps
Inflation worries everyone, but no aspect of it has caused as much consternation as skyrocketing egg prices. Some egg prices have gone back down since the start of the year. Discount supermarkets are routinely selling a dozen white eggs for less than $2. But sharing shelf space are cartons of eggs that can cost as much as $10 a dozen.
For eggs to be labeled "organic," they must be given feeds from certified organic production facilities that do not use pesticides, insecticides or any other chemicals. "That makes the feed ingredients four times as expensive as regular corn or regular soybean meal," Anderson says. "When they're fed to a chicken, the eggs are going to be about four times more expensive. That's where you get $8 a dozen for an organic egg."
These eggs claim to be "cage-free," "free- roaming," "pasteurized," "organic" and "natural."
Here's what you are really paying for when you buy eggs with these common descriptions.
Is it worth paying twice, three times, even four times as much for an egg that has a healthy- sounding label? Some say, yes. But are boutique eggs healthier? Nutritionally, the answer is, "no," says Kenneth E. Anderson, professor of poultry science at North Carolina State University. "Provided that a hen is fed the same nutrients, you end up with an egg that is nutritionally equivalent to any other egg."
• Brown eggs . "If it's a white bird, it lays white eggs. If it's a brown bird, it lays brown eggs," Anderson says. Brown and white eggs are nutritionally identical. • Cage-Free . Hens aren't kept in cages, but they are indoors, often in crowded conditions. • Free-Range . These hens aren't kept in cages and have a varying amount of room to run. If the carton has a "Certified Humane" or "American Humane Certified" label, birds have a relatively spacious outdoor run. • Hormone-Free . By U.S. law, all hens used for eggs or meat cannot be given hormones, so "hormone-free" doesn't make these eggs unique. • Pasture-Raised . This label is not regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Humane Farm Animal Care, a non-profit organization, coined the term, which is now used by similar animal-rights organizations.
Read more of this story on NextAvenue.org
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