Labels are often designed to convince a buyer that product X is better, safer, healthier, or has better taste than product Y. Many manufacturers and producers are exceptionally creative at describing their products to convince us to buy. The egg section in the grocery store is both a joyful and confusing place. You’re there to purchase eggs, but the selection is vast and the labels on the carton? Seemingly endless.
Phrases like “Omega-3,” “Farm Fresh,” and “No Hormones” line the boxes, purposefully vague. And what’s the difference between “Grade AA” and “Grade A,” or between “Cage-Free” and “Free-Range”?
7 Egg Labels and What they Really Mean.
‘All-Natural’
Though it sounds appealing, this phrase tells you nothing about the egg production process or even the egg. It’s basically stating the obvious: that the egg is, in fact, a real egg from a real hen. Don’t let it distract you from another important carton lingo — “All-Natural” is pure marketing.
‘Cage-Free’
The phrase “cage-free” paints an idyllic picture in one’s mind: hens are given freedom beyond the restrictive cages found in many production facilities. And that’s somewhat true: Cage-free hens are not raised in the typical caged housing systems, and they are given access to roam the facility. But don’t necessarily confuse cage-free with cruelty-free.
‘Free-Range’
“Free-Range” takes it a step further: In addition to not adhering to the cage system, free-range eggs come from hens that either live in or are given access to, the outdoors.
Studies have found that there’s no nutritional difference between eggs from free-range hens and eggs from hens housed in production facilities with cages.
‘Farm Fresh’
This term is also for marketing purposes only, and it doesn’t really convey any information.
Sure, the words “farm” and “fresh” sound appetizing when placed next to each other. But “Farm Fresh” on a carton simply means you’re getting good old-fashioned eggs from a hen who lived on a commercial farm.
‘Organic’ eggs
If eggs are branded as organic, they should also have an organic seal on the carton, which confirms that the farm or facility at which they were produced has been certified organic.
Organic eggs must come from free-range hens. Those hens also must be fed organic feed (mostly grains and forages), and not fed poultry by-products, manure, antibiotics, or any “animal drugs.”
‘No Hormones’ eggs
This label — like “Farm Fresh” and “All-Natural” — states the obvious. No egg-laying hen has received hormones or hormone injections, which means phrases like “Hormone-Free” or “No Hormones” could technically be put on every carton in the store.
An ‘Omega-3’ labeled egg contain enough of the fatty acid
Omega-3 is a type of fatty acid that has been proven to help with heart and brain health. But according to Canadian nutritionist Leslie Beck, just because your egg carton has the “Omega-3” label doesn’t mean you’re buying eggs with enough of the Omega-3 you need. Hens that produce the “Omega-3”-branded eggs eat feed that contains flaxseed. Once consumed, some of the ALA in the seeds gets broken down into DHA in their system.