Comments on: Label Lingo: A Guide to Eggs

By: Nourish Network Eggs Got You Scared? Here’s the Scoop

Nourish Network Eggs Got You Scared? Here’s the Scoop — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:41:44 +0000

[…] Know the source. You should know where your eggs come from and how they were produced. Use our guide to egg labeling and health claims. […]

By: Alison Ashton

Alison Ashton — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 17:26:47 +0000

Good point, Heather. Chickens do graze on grubs ‘n’ such, which means they’re not vegetarians, really. When I wrote the section about “vegetarian” feed I was thinking about other kinds of animal byproducts that might be in conventional chicken feed–byproducts of a sort chickens wouldn’t eat if left to their own devices.

And I also like your point that USDA organic standards do not necessarily = humane. Be nice of it did, wouldn’t it?

By: Heather(eatwelleatgreen)

Heather(eatwelleatgreen) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 03:16:33 +0000

I like your round up. I agree the labelling is very confusing and I’ve actually written a similar piece on my blog. Just need to point out though, chickens are NOT vegetarian by nature. As you’ve pointed out a little further down, a hen will gobble up grubs and worms etc in pasture. So the only way to stop them doing that, and to accurately label eggs as vegetarian is to put the chickens in a cage and control their access to food. It’s an excellent example of greenwashing. The public thinks they are buying something a little greener, a little more humane when actually they are still getting a factory farmed product, with a few tweaks and new labelling.

In Australia the organic label also has to mean the animals are treated humanely although that seems not to be the case with USDA labelling.

The best option is to buy your eggs from a local farmer’s market and ask them the tough questions!

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 20:40:28 +0000

See http://www.EggLabels.com for more info

By: Bette

Bette — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:33:01 +0000

Pasteurized eggs are great for recipes and preparations where eggs are not cooked, or even UNDER cooked — as in the case of over easy, poached, sunnyside up or soft-boiled. The only way to ensure that pathogens are killed is to cook eggs until the yolk and white are hard (145 deg F).

The other issue is cross-contamination in the kitchen.

Pasteurized eggs are the ONLY way insure safety. Not only that, they taste really good.

Remember, eggs are from animals. No matter where they live, chickens are animals that carry bacteria in their intestines and their waste. They should be handled no differently than raw chicken meat.