I’m a sucker for eggs. I regularly bake with them and even have scrambled eggs on toast every morning; I’ve got the ritual down to a tee, it only taking me five minutes from hob to plate. And I’m not alone in my love of these little crackers; 30 million chicken eggs are consumed each day in the UK. But is the source of them important?
I always use free-range eggs from my local farm shop (Goodies in Pulham Market). Super fresh, humanely raised, pretty sizeable and with bright orange yolks. To me, they taste far superior to any other. But is my egg-citement misplaced? Is my judgement influenced by the free-range/organic/locally sourced propaganda we’re frequently subjected to?
After some investigating, the answer would seem to be yes… and no. Following extensive scientific research, it has been discovered that free-range eggs are no better for us than battery farmed alternatives. Dr Kenneth Anderson of North Carolina State University in the US compared the nutritional content of 500 eggs from different sources over a period of two years. The research found that although the yolks of free-range eggs were brighter, they weren’t actually healthier. Levels of vitamin A and E were the same. There were also no discernable differences in the levels of cholesterol. Dr Anderson concluded; ‘The key takeaway from this research is that an egg, no matter where it’s produced, is a very nutritious product’.
I always use free-range eggs from my local farm shop (Goodies in Pulham Market). Super fresh, humanely raised, pretty sizeable and with bright orange yolks. To me, they taste far superior to any other. But is my egg-citement misplaced? Is my judgement influenced by the free-range/organic/locally sourced propaganda we’re frequently subjected to?
After some investigating, the answer would seem to be yes… and no. Following extensive scientific research, it has been discovered that free-range eggs are no better for us than battery farmed alternatives. Dr Kenneth Anderson of North Carolina State University in the US compared the nutritional content of 500 eggs from different sources over a period of two years. The research found that although the yolks of free-range eggs were brighter, they weren’t actually healthier. Levels of vitamin A and E were the same. There were also no discernable differences in the levels of cholesterol. Dr Anderson concluded; ‘The key takeaway from this research is that an egg, no matter where it’s produced, is a very nutritious product’.
So, nutrition wise, eggs from caged hens are level pegging with their free-range counterparts. But what of taste? Are my taste buds deceiving me? Plenty of blind taste tests have taken place over recent times by food organisations, the media, bloggers and the public at large. Even Jimmy Doherty in series 2 of his programme ‘Food Unwrapped’ undertook a blind taste test following visiting various egg producing environments. Shell shockingly, a consensus of opinion has been reached… there is no difference in taste.
But is price a deciding factor? I consider the eggs I buy from Goodies Farm Shop to be extremely good value: 30 for £4.50. Yet you can buy 30 Everyday Value eggs from Tesco for £3. Therefore, if nutrition and taste are the same, yet battery farmed eggs are cheaper; surely they’re the logical choice? Personally, I couldn’t disagree more.
With demand for eggs as high as it is, battery egg production is commonplace. Yet I cannot bring myself to buy eggs produced in this way. I believe that chickens should be allowed to roam relatively freely, without being raised in cramped, dark conditions. Many windowless warehouses containing ‘battery hens’ house up to one million of them, in cages with the square footage less than the size of an A4 sheet of paper.
The RSPCA state on their website their concerns for this farming method; ‘Battery cages consist mainly of wire mesh. They provide limited facilities for hens to perch, nest and scratch. Of particular concern are cages that don’t allow birds to move around freely and exercise. Birds can’t rest undisturbed, can’t move away from each other, can’t conduct dust bathing and foraging behaviours properly. Not providing for the full behavioural and physical needs of hens can cause frustration and suffering’.
But is price a deciding factor? I consider the eggs I buy from Goodies Farm Shop to be extremely good value: 30 for £4.50. Yet you can buy 30 Everyday Value eggs from Tesco for £3. Therefore, if nutrition and taste are the same, yet battery farmed eggs are cheaper; surely they’re the logical choice? Personally, I couldn’t disagree more.
With demand for eggs as high as it is, battery egg production is commonplace. Yet I cannot bring myself to buy eggs produced in this way. I believe that chickens should be allowed to roam relatively freely, without being raised in cramped, dark conditions. Many windowless warehouses containing ‘battery hens’ house up to one million of them, in cages with the square footage less than the size of an A4 sheet of paper.
The RSPCA state on their website their concerns for this farming method; ‘Battery cages consist mainly of wire mesh. They provide limited facilities for hens to perch, nest and scratch. Of particular concern are cages that don’t allow birds to move around freely and exercise. Birds can’t rest undisturbed, can’t move away from each other, can’t conduct dust bathing and foraging behaviours properly. Not providing for the full behavioural and physical needs of hens can cause frustration and suffering’.
Of course battery egg farms can vary. Many providing much better conditions for our feathered friends than others. But, to me, the sight of a chicken pecking in a farmyard is far more preferable to that of a confined, frustrated bird.
Taking everything into account, I shall continue to buy farm shop free-range eggs… paying an additional £1.50 (less than the price of a cup of coffee) for the privilege. My taste buds may have deceived me and I won’t be any better off health wise, but morally I feel like I have achieved a victory… and that’s something worth clucking about.
For more information about Goodies Farm Shop visit: www.goodiesfarmshop.co.uk
For further details regarding the RSPCA visit: www.rspca.org.uk
Taking everything into account, I shall continue to buy farm shop free-range eggs… paying an additional £1.50 (less than the price of a cup of coffee) for the privilege. My taste buds may have deceived me and I won’t be any better off health wise, but morally I feel like I have achieved a victory… and that’s something worth clucking about.
For more information about Goodies Farm Shop visit: www.goodiesfarmshop.co.uk
For further details regarding the RSPCA visit: www.rspca.org.uk