How do you select eggs? Do you break into a sweat in the egg department?
Let me help you out:
Organic
Label regulated by the USDA: .
indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods for cultural, biological, and mechanical practices
Synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering may not be used
Outdoor access:
means nothing
It doesn’t mean the hens actually go outdoors—this could mean that there’s a little door, that if the farmer were to open the door they could “access” the outdoors. There are actually no space requirements
Non-GMO:
This only means that hens are fed a diet that is free from GMOs
That does not mean that the food is organic. Or imply anything else
Vegetarian Feed:
Hens aren’t officially vegetarians. They eat worms and grubs, etc
This essentially means that the feed they’re given doesn’t have animal byproducts, like ground up chicken
Cage-free:
label is regulated by the USDA
Hens can move freely within the building/hen house, and have unlimited access to food and fresh water during their production cycle
There are no space requirements
Certified Humane status:
there must be 1.5 square feet per hen, litter for dust bathing, perches for the birds, and ammonia levels at a maximum of 10 ppm, which means the scent is imperceptible
Free-range:
label regulated by the USDA
continuous access to the outdoors during their production cycle, which may or may not be fenced and/or covered with netting-like material
it doesn’t actually stipulate what that outdoor access really means, or how much space is required
Pasture-raised
NOT regulated by the USDA
108-square-feet per bird per Certified Humane
Currently, Vital Farms is the only egg purveyor that is accredited as Pasture Raised by Certified Humane.
Natural:
This label means nothing
No added hormones
Federal regulations have never allowed the use of hormones or steroids in poultry, pork, or goats
Look for no antibiotics were used
Humane
Not regulated by the USDA. Doesn’t mean much
Animal Welfare Approved
farmers can’t have a flock of > 500
