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    Home » Ingredient Guides

    Published: September 15, 2019 | Last Modified: December 5, 2020 by Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju | This post may contain affiliate links. 💬 - 9 Comments

    The Ultimate Guide for Buying Eggs!

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    Egg labels are confusing. If you've ever thought, “what are the best eggs I can buy?” and not had a clear answer, this article is for you. There are two dozen types of eggs at every grocery store, of which some are $2.00 and some are $9.99? So, what egg should you buy?! I figured I’d write this guide to help other folks struggling with this as well.

    If you're impatient: I either buy eggs from the local farmers' markets, or the Vital Farms pasture-raised eggs. However, the best eggs to buy are the ones that you can afford and can align behind the values for! So read on to find out more about the six key traits that are important to understand in your eggs.

    Infographic showing six key things to know about eggs

    Jump to:
    • Date: How Long Do Fresh Eggs Last
    • Egg Sizes
    • Appearance: Grades & Color Egg Labels
    • Feed Labels
    • Outdoor Access and Confinement Labels
    • Humane Practices
    • Resources to help find the best eggs
    • 💬 Comments

    Date: How Long Do Fresh Eggs Last

    You can determine freshness of eggs through the "packed on" date or by dunking the eggs in water. Eggs stored in a carton in the fridge will last four weeks from packed date and roughly 1-2 weeks after the "sell by" date. If eggs smell funky, throw them out even if the expiration date suggests otherwise.

    Infographic showing how to tell if egg is fresh

    Egg Sizes

    Egg size is measured as net weight per dozen, not dimensions. So, some eggs are sized equally even when they look different. Large eggs are the standard in most recipes!

    Infographic showing egg size guide

    Egg Size Comparison

    If you're wondering how many small eggs equal a large egg, or how many jumbo eggs equal three large eggs, use the size comparison chart below to help your decision! Thanks to the Incredible Egg for the inspiration!

    Infographic showing how to substitute different sized eggs

    Appearance: Grades & Color Egg Labels

    When it comes to egg grades, the ratings (e.g. A or AA) indicate whether your eggs are cracked or misshapen. However, it is not a safety standard. An AA egg simply has no visible defects (think: blood spots, meat spots, embryo chicks or whatever else). So, any egg you pick up from a supermarket? It’s likely safe to eat.

    Infographic showing the various egg grades and differences

    With respect to egg color, according to Michigan State University Extension, egg color has everything to do with the genetics of the hen laying the egg. Apparently, ear lobes are a good indication of egg color - those with white ear lobes produce white eggs! Therefore, the egg color has zero nutritional or taste difference!

    Picture showing different color eggs in carton

    Feed Labels

    There are many types of labels used for hen feed, but I've described the most common ones below. These range from highly natural to more processed feeds.

    Infographic showing the different labels for egg hen feed

    Antibiotic-free or "no antibiotics administered" means hens were not given antibiotics, while "hormone free" means there were no hormones administered. However, antibiotics are more common in chicken feed and not used as much for egg-laying hens. Plus, federal regulations don’t allow the use of hormones or steroids in poultry. So, these two labels are a bit of a catch-all for most eggs and cartons without these labels are likely fine as well.

    But “vegetarian-fed hens” — that’s the interesting one. Hens aren’t natural vegetarians, but this label means your hen’s diet didn’t contain animal byproducts.

    Outdoor Access and Confinement Labels

    This one is probably the most contentious label, but before we get into “cage free” “free range” and “pasture raised” (three types of outdoor access terms) let's take a moment to understand what the status quo, an “industrially raised” hen, gets.

    Traditional egg-laying hen CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation), the USDA requires 67 square inches of space: that’s slightly less than a regular sheet of paper. Your industrial hens don’t even have the space to turn their head, let alone lay eggs in peace, which means there’s a likelihood of higher cortisol (the stress-causing hormone) in their systems. But that’s just the cheapest carton of eggs … what do the other labels mean?

    Cage-free, free-range and pasture-raised, the three most commonly used labels, are all voluntary labels accepted by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)— the board that certifies your food products. AMS personnel visit each egg production site twice per year to verify these practices.

    Infographic showing different outdoor access for hens

    Cage free vs. free range eggs

    Cage-free means hens can roam, instead of being held in battery cages. This doesn’t mean guarantee outdoor access, nor does it specify the actual quantity of space. Free-range is a bit better — based on USDA recommendations, they’re cage-free hens with access to an outdoor area. There are no “diet” implications for either label.

    Pasture raised eggs

    Pasture-raised hens, on the other hand, usually come from smaller farms or companies. And while there are no set standards, these hens usually live outdoors and eat a more “natural” diet (think seeds and bugs).

    And then there’s organic. Any carton carrying the USDA Organic seal should come from free-range hens raised on organic feed with access to the outdoors and sunlight. So, while cage-free and free-range (or organic) eggs are better than factory-farmed, pasture-raised eggs are better than both. 

    Humane Practices

    There are three practices that many industrial egg producers still use:

    1. Beak cutting: to ensure birds don’t peck at each other in confined spaces
    2. Forced molting: where older hens are starved to get one last round of eggs
    3. Male culling: male chicks are literally thrown into meat grinders alive (welp).

    So, wherever possible, look for humane certifications on your egg labels. This can come from several third-party organizations, but watch out for “Certified Humane” or “Animal Welfare Approved” in particular. 

    Resources to help find the best eggs

    Hopefully, after reading this guide you're feeling confident in understanding what the different terms mean and why you may or may not want to get eggs with those labels. So I'll end this guide with some links to other detailed resources that might help further.

    • Cornucopia Institute's Egg Scorecard: Detailed scorecard that rates most major egg producers in the country on various dimensions mentioned in this guide
    • Egg Safety Center: Detailed resource center outlining safety practices, government regulations, as well as tips and tricks for handling, storing and eating eggs
    • Eggs, Nutrition Source (Harvard): Detailed resource on the health benefits and issues from consumption of eggs

    If you enjoyed reading this, and you're looking for my favorite egg dishes, check out the following delicious, tested recipes!

    • Moroccan Shakshuka
    • French Toast with Berry Compote (Tips & Tricks!)
    • Savory French Toast (with Egg in Hole)
    • Zucchini & Asparagus Frittata (Stovetop or Baked!)

    « Crispy Kimchi Pancakes (Kimchijeon)
    French Toast with Berry Compote (Tips & Tricks!) »

    Download your seasonal eating guide!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Shanna

      December 05, 2020 at 7:34 pm

      This is such great information. I never new any of this.

      Reply
    2. Angela

      December 05, 2020 at 8:54 pm

      So much good information here! I never thought about these things before. Definitely useful info about eggs. Wonderful job!

      Reply
    3. Tara

      December 05, 2020 at 9:36 pm

      What a great article for breaking down the labeling for the different types of eggs! So informative and I love the graphics.

      Reply
    4. Cathleen

      December 05, 2020 at 9:47 pm

      Okay, this is perfect. There are so many eggs out there, and I often feels overwhelmed when trying to buy eggs. So thank you so much for this!! 🙂

      Reply
    5. Alice | SkinnySpatula

      December 05, 2020 at 10:26 pm

      This is such great info, I didn't know that there were vegetarian-fed hens, I never saw it on a label, but I live in the UK.

      Reply
    6. Ben M

      December 05, 2020 at 10:27 pm

      Such a great post about eggs. We try to use the Certified Humane eggs. I tend to find that the eggs are really a better quality and you can tell by the color and strength of the yolk. On some of the packages, you can trace it back to the farm where it is raised.

      Yes, more expensive, but I like doing my part to help making happier farmers and chickens.

      Reply
      • Shruthi

        December 06, 2020 at 1:16 am

        I definitely agree with all of that! 🙂 And I also feel like you can tell the difference!

        Reply
    7. jordana moon

      June 03, 2021 at 3:04 am

      Do you think these "humane" certifications are kept in check throughout the year? The labels are corrupt and it isn't there for the chickens, the labels are there to make us feel less guilty about buying the eggs. What about the genetic mutations, hormones and antibiotics pumped into them, or the living conditions they are in? It doesn't change the fact that the chickens all get sent to the slaughterhouse at the end of their life when they are considered waste and 'unusable'. It would be easier to not eat the eggs in the first place.

      Reply
      • Shruthi Baskaran

        June 13, 2021 at 2:20 am

        Thanks for the note, Jordana - while there are many issues overall with mass production, and perhaps refraining from eggs is the safest way to avoid those issues, it's not always possible for everyone. So, my post tries to help people transition to a more sustainable / humane source by decoding egg labels.

        Reply

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    Shruthi Baskaran - Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, and Blogger at Urban Farmie

    I am Shruthi, the recipe developer, photographer and blogger behind Urban Farmie. I have two graduate degrees from Stanford, one focused on food systems. And I hope to bring you everything you need for healthy-ish, comforting, nourishing vegetarian cooking.

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