Larm: It's time to get cracking and learn about eggs

An egg is an egg, right? Wrong. The differences between store-bought “farm fresh,” cage-free and free-range eggs extends beyond the color of their shells or yokes.

Eggs are good for us. They are high in nutritional value with a relatively low calorie count. They usually have 70 to 80 calories per egg and contain 6 to 6.5 grams of protein. When measuring the biological value of egg protein, which indicates the ability of the body to use it, eggs have a higher value than that of milk, beef, poultry, fish, soybeans, wheat, corn or rice. There is no cholesterol in the egg white.

However, the differences between eggs depend on how the chickens are raised. Most of the eggs from the supermarket, often called “farm fresh,” come from chickens raised in battery cages.

According to an article by Roger Ziegler in the New York Wellness Examiner, each hen has a space to stand that is about the size of a sheet of paper. They have their beaks burned off so they don’t peck each other to death because of the stress of being packed in together. Often they stand on an uncomfortably sloped floor that can cause serious injury. The hens are fed the cheapest food possible so these are usually the cheapest eggs at the store.

These least expensive eggs can also be labeled “healthy” or “United Egg Producers Certified.” One estimate is that 97 percent of eggs in the U.S. are from battery-caged hens raised on about 67 square inches of space. Hens need 75 square inches to stand up straight and 303 square inches to flap their wings.

The hens that produce eggs labeled “Vegetarian Feed,” “All Natural,” or “Omega-3 Enhanced,” receive a slightly healthier diet. They aren’t fed cow or poultry parts and have extra flaxseed in their feed. But the amount of flaxseed or amounts of omega-3 fatty acids aren’t regulated. They can vary quite a bit. The hens are still raised in cages and are never out-of-doors. These eggs can be as much as double or triple the price of “farm fresh.”

Some eggs are labeled “cage-free.” Here’s where we start getting into differences of whether the egg production is commercial or family farm. The hens have more room to flap their wings and move around. Most of the “cage-free” still aren’t allowed outside. Family farm “cage-free” sometimes have access to a small outdoor pen. This outdoor pen usually doesn’t have growing vegetation. Commercial “cage-free” might still have ground-up chicken and animal parts in the hens’ feed unless the label says “vegetarian diet.” If you’re getting local eggs that are called “cage-free,” be sure to ask the producer about the hens’ feed and conditions.

Watch out and know your producer if the eggs are called “free range.” In some locations “Free Range” and “pasture-fed” or “pastured chickens” are similar. Pastured chickens are given grains and also forage outside for wild plants and insects. These titles are not regulated. Free range might mean that the hens are allowed to go outside, but because of how they are raised, they might never leave their building.

So what is the difference for you, the consumer? Nutritional content of eggs has been measured from hens raised in various ways. When hens are raised like egg-producing machines, the eggs have the lowest nutrition.

If hens are given grains and also forage outside for wild plants and insects, the eggs often have one-third less cholesterol, 10 to 30 percent less saturated fat, 40 to 50 percent more vitamin A, three times more vitamin E, seven times more beta-carotene, up to 70 percent more vitamin B-12, and up to 50 percent more folic acid, according to an article in Mother Earth News.

Eggs bought from a local family farm are much fresher, more nutritional and taste better. Often the local eggs will have a darker, almost orange yolk, which is an indication of the extra nutrients. And if the yolk is tall, not flattened out, the eggs are fresher. Know your producer.

Commercial eggs are usually sprayed with a fine mist of oil to prolong shelf life. But they have been hauled, undergone temperature changes, and they are old. If you buy commercial eggs or buy from an unknown producer, make sure you cook your eggs. Some recipes, such as some homemade ice creams and egg nog, call for raw eggs. Using raw eggs is safe if you know their origin.

The Sedalia Area Farmers’ Market is selling a cookbook with a collection of recipes from market vendors and customers. There are many tasty ways to use local producers’ nutritional, low-calorie eggs. There are even instructions in the cookbook of how to hard-boil fresh eggs. Fresh hard-boiled eggs are usually harder to peel, but with this method, peeling is easy.

Buying eggs from a family farm or a producers’ farmers’ market supports the local economy and helps lower your carbon footprint. Come out to the Missouri State Fairgrounds on south U.S. Highway 65  and visit the Sedalia Area Farmers’ Market. We’re open from 3 to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and 3 to 7 p.m. on Fridays. See you there.