Local Eating ‘Egg’speriment: Farm Fresh vs. Store Bought Eggs

Now, I must admit… I am quite biased on this subject. I have grown up eating fresh home-grown produce and a variety of local foods. Ever since Michael and I started this farming venture, the #1 question I get is: “what is the difference between farm fresh and store bought eggs” – regarding both sensory characteristics and nutritional value. Seeing as how I now have four chickens in my own backyard, I am even more biased towards local, farm fresh eggs. However, I also am a scientist and know that there are always two sides to a story.

When asked, I honestly did not know the answers to that question. I notice the different sensory characteristics between farm fresh and store bought eggs, but I was not as versed on the nutritional differences, or even if there were nutritional differences. So, I went searching…

In 2007, Mother Earth News did an egg test project by comparing farm fresh eggs, which are eggs from hens raised on pasture, to the official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs. Astonishingly, the farm fresh eggs contained

o   1/3 less cholesterol

o   1/4 less saturated fat

o   2/3 more vitamin A

o   2 times more omega-3 fatty acids

o   3 times more vitamin E

o   7 times more beta carotene

than store bought eggs. Farm fresh eggs tend to be richer in nutrients than typical store bought eggs, most likely due to the differing nutrient levels of the diets consumed by hens that produce the eggs. True free-range hens eat a chicken’s natural diet – all kinds of seeds, green plants, insects and worms, usually along with grains or laying mash/feed. Factory farm hens typically never see the outdoors and are often fed an inexpensive mixture of corn, soy and/or cottonseed meals, with a variety of additives. 

The American Egg Board states that “the nutrient content of eggs is not affected by whether hens are raised free-range or in floor or cage operations,” however, there is a growing body of evidence, in addition to the 2007 Mother Earth News study, that clearly shows that eggs are nutritionally superior when the hens are allowed to consume their natural diet. In 1974, the British Journal of Nutrition found that pastured eggs had 50 percent more folic acid and 70 percent more vitamin B12 than eggs from factory farm hens. In 1988, Artemis Simopoulos, co-author of The Omega Diet, found that pastured eggs contained 13 times more omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids than U.S. commercial eggs. A 1998 study by Animal Feed Science and Technology found that pastured eggs had higher omega-3s and vitamin E than eggs from caged hens. A 1999 study by Barb Gorski at Pennsylvania State University found that eggs from pastured birds had 10 percent less fat, 34 percent less cholesterol, 40 percent more vitamin A, and four times the omega-3s compared to the standard USDA data. Her study also tested pastured chicken meat, which found it to have 21 percent less fat, 30 percent less saturated fat and 50 percent more vitamin A than the USDA standard. In 2003, Heather Karsten at Pennsylvania State University compared eggs from two groups of Hy-Line variety hens, with one kept in standard crowded factory farm conditions and the other on mixed grass and legume pasture. The eggs had similar levels of fat and cholesterol, but the pastured eggs had three times more omega-3s, 220 percent more vitamin E and 62 percent more vitamin A than eggs from caged hens. Lastly, a 2005 study Mother Earth News conducted on four heritage-breed pastured flocks found that pastured eggs had roughly half the cholesterol, 50 percent more vitamin E and three times more beta carotene than factory farm eggs.

As you can see, research supports that farm fresh eggs are nutritionally superior to store bought eggs. However, the easiest way to test differences in farm fresh and store bought eggs is with the naked eye. Next time you are at the farmers’ market, pick up a dozen farm fresh eggs (most likely laid in the past week). Then pick up a generic brand of eggs at the grocery store (most likely have been in transport or on the shelf for 2-3 weeks). Crack open the eggs and take a look for yourself. 

I bet you will find that the farm fresh eggs have a thicker shell and deeper orange color yolk. The yolks of the farm fresh eggs are likely taller and the whites tighter and more translucent than those of the store bought eggs. Store bought eggs tend to be “watery” causing the whites to spread out more quickly. This is a result of water seeping through the shell after it has been laid (letting in antibiotics and bacteria), indicative of a long shelf life. The thick shell of the farm fresh egg is a result of increased calcium content in the hen’s diet and the bright, orange yolks speak well to the healthiness of the hen. An egg too old to eat will float when put in a cup of water – give it a try and see how old the eggs are! 

Lastly, prepare the eggs however you please and give them a taste. I won’t share with you my opinion, but I am sure you know what it is already – nothing less than ‘egg’cellent! 

We'll see you in the coop...