What Does This Egg Label Mean?
By: Mallaidh Mleziva
Have you ever looked through all the terms on eggs in the grocery store and wondered what they all mean?
Let’s break down some of the terms you see and explore what these actually indicate.
“Natural”
To be frank, this is the most vague and meaningless term on any food label.
If you think about the reverse, how could an egg possibly be unnatural? Chickens always produce eggs and it is a natural process, therefore it can be placed on any label and be true regardless of the egg quality and production standards.
Disregard this term.
“Organic” or “Certified Organic”
Organic is one of the only regulated terms in the U.S. The United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) has standards that producers must meet in order to use that term on their product labels. The producers are inspected annually by the USDA to ensure they are meeting these requirements.
According to the USDA website production practices:
Must “foster resource cycling, promote ecological balance, maintain and improve soil and water quality, minimize the use of synthetic materials, and conserve biodiversity”
Cannot include prohibited methods, such as genetic engineering, ionizing radiation, or sewage sludge
Can only involve allowed substances
Given the farmer meets these requirements when the USDA inspector is there, they are allowed to use the official USDA label on their packaging and state that their products are “Certified Organic.”
Although this is a good label to know what type of feed the chickens received, it doesn’t explain how the chickens were raised or treated as the requirements are not specific in those regards.
“Cage-Free”
This term indicates that chickens were raised without cages.
This is a step up above caged chickens who are usually crammed too tightly and become aggressive and abusive to each other due to the stress. I’ll spare you the details of the sad life of caged birds.
Although cage-free is preferred, it is still not the picturesque concept of chickens roaming through a barn yard contentedly scratching.
Cage-free birds of large industrial operations are raised indoors for their entire lives. These are huge warehouse buildings, each holding hundreds (if not thousands) of chickens. There is no metric for how much space is allotted to each bird.
You can imagine the sound and smell of these conditions. Thus, chickens are stressed which can lead to aggression and sickness.
Do they ever go outside? Well, that brings us to…
“Free Range”
This term typically means the chickens are given access to the outdoors for at least 51% of their lives.
This unregulated requirement is typically met by two small doors at either end of the warehouse that lead to small fenced-in yards, some only a few feet long and a few feet wide.
There are no standards for the size or quality of the outdoor area or how frequently it is accessible.
These doors are kept shut for much of the beginning stages of the birds’ lives. Because they are creatures of habit, they may never even venture outdoors even when the door is opened.
“Pasture Raised” or “Pastured”
Again, this term is unregulated but infers that chickens live outside on pasture.
In the usual situation, chickens live on pasture and are moved to a new section of grass daily with a mobile coop following along.
Sometimes they are completely free roaming, only returning to their mobile coops at night for protection and for roosting to lay eggs. In many cases, they have electric netting fencing off a larger area around the coop to keep predators away.
These chickens can exhibit their natural instincts. They scratch for and chase bugs, eat fresh grasses and legumes, enjoy the sun and fresh air, and have dust baths, while also being protected from predators.
When used honestly, this is the best indicator of egg quality and chicken wellbeing!
However, since this is another unregulated term, there are no set guidelines or inspections. There are no requirements for how much space each bird has or the quality of land they live on.
Therefore, this term can be used dishonestly to make a sale.
Can You Trust These Labels?
An integral part of this conversation is greenwashing and humane washing.
Certifications
As outlined before, organic is the only regulated term, so you can know that those producers - at very least - met the organic requirements at the point when the USDA agent inspected.
Important note: Many small farmers do not seek out organic certification because of the fees and paperwork required but do indeed meet the standards set forth by the USDA. Because they don’t go through the certification process, they are not legally allowed to use the word “organic” on their labeling or in their marketing. Instead, they may choose to say “organically raised” or “organically grown”. Ask your local farm if they follow organic practices if that is something that is important to you.
Also, there are other third-party agencies certifying other terms so you may see their stamps on packages. Some of the major ones are Animal Welfare Approved, Certified Humane, and Food Alliance Certified.
This ASPCA article outlines these other certifications.
Greenwashing and Humane Washing
Large producers and corporations know that consumers value the terms about which we have talked about. For this reason, they will use the unregulated terms on their packaging to capture more consumer dollars without actually practicing what these terms imply.
For this reason, be aware and wary of uncertified labeling.
There’s an Easy Solution
As you have seen, there’s a lot to know about the labels on your eggs. In addition to that, there are a lot of moving pieces: regulations change and third-party groups certify new terms.
We can’t always trust the labels. We can’t trace a particular egg carton back to the operation where it originated. And even if we could, we probably wouldn’t be allowed on the premise to verify their practices.
So how do we navigate all this confusion and deception?
Thankfully, there is an easy solution… our local farmers!
There are many farmers raising chickens and selling eggs right here in Brown County!
Buying from local farmers has many benefits. Firstly, you are supporting another person or family and their livelihood. Secondly, you are keeping your dollars in the local economy. Thirdly, these farmers have smaller operations and can therefore provide more care and attention to their animals and products.
Finally, you can talk to the farmers directly and even visit these farms and see their practices!
Many farms have on-farm stores so you can go there to buy your eggs directly and see where they are laid.
Plus, I have yet to meet a farmer who doesn’t welcome guests for tours! Always call ahead and schedule a time because they are very busy business owners. Please be respectful of their packed schedules.
Local Farmers Who Sell Eggs
Various farms provide eggs to Farmers Best who fulfills and delivers orders!
Farmers: Did I miss you? Send me an email at mallaidh@mjmfarmmarketing.com and I’ll add you to this list!
Important Clarification:
I would like to clarify that there are good brands providing eggs for grocery stores! Many of these are co-ops made up of many family farms.
However, even if these eggs are good, the chickens are raised humanely, and the farmers and workers are respected, the eggs still have to be shipped long distances which takes large amounts of fossil fuels.
Instead, we have many eggs right here in Brown County that don’t have to travel far to get to our plates!
About the Author
Mallaidh Mleziva is a farmer and a marketer. As the owner of MJM Farm Marketing LLC she helps farmers, ranchers, and rural business owners sow and grow their marketing efforts. She is passionate about connecting farmers and consumers to create a thriving local food system. During her free time, you can find Mallaidh handing out with her cows, baking something new with sourdough, or buried deep in yet another home renovation project.
