Eggs SSC: The Breakfast Plate

Remember those television ads for "the incredible edible egg"? It doesn't really seem like much of a claim to make, "edible". It doesn't even suggest their nutritional value, such as that eggs are high in protein and are a source of vitamins A, E, and B12. On the other hand, the slogan also failed to remind you that your eggs may come from de-beaked hens packed four or five to a cage without room to even stand up. These days the industry is giving more information on their egg carton labels, but which of these claims can you trust? Below, we describe labels for national brands, noting those with third-party inspectors with no stake in the outcome of labelling decisions. We've also provided a list of commonly available brands and the claims each one makes. For a downloadable version of this chart, see our shopping guide in the sidebar.

Labels
Here are the different label claims we've found on meat products, including beef, pork, and poultry. Below are shopping charts for these meats, showing brands whose products meet one or more of these claims.

1. USDA organic—Animals are fed organic feed, are not administered any antibiotics and no irradiation or genetic modification takes place. They are raised under conditions which provide for exercise, access to outdoors and freedom of movement. The USDA allows products that contain all organic ingredients to be labeled as "100% organic;" products that contain 95% up to 100% organic ingredients can be labeled as "organic." Claims are verified by third-party inspectors (www.usda.gov).

2. Free range or free roaming—Poultry are free to roam; however, the use of the term "free range" is only defined by the USDA for poultry production, and need only mean that the bird has had some access to the outdoors each day, which could be a dirt or concrete feedlot. USDA considers five minutes of open-air access each day to be adequate. Claims are defined by UDSA, but are not verified by third party inspectors.

3. Cage Free—This term implies that birds were not housed in cages. However, this label does not guarantee access to the outdoors, and is not verified by any third party.

4. No antibiotics administered, raised without antibiotics or antibiotic-free—The USDA allows producers to label meat and poultry products with the claims "no antibiotics administered" or "raised without antibiotics." The term "antibiotic-free" is not approved for use by the USDA. Claims are defined by UDSA, but are not verified by third party inspectors.

5. Vegetarian Diet—Poultry are fed grains and vegetarian supplements without any animal by-products. This claim is verified by third-party inspectors only for USDA organic eggs.

6. Omega 3—Some egg labels state the level of Omega-3, a fatty acid that can help sustain normal blood pressure, promote normal blood clotting and keeps our blood vessels flexible. While an ordinary egg contains 18 mg. of Omega-3, an Omega-3-enriched egg typically contains 100-350 mg. Egg farmers increase omega-3 levels by feeding their hens grain rich in these substances. Claims are not verified by third-party inspectors.

Most of the brands below are distributed nationally, but it is typical for a conventional supermarket or health food store to carry mostly eggs produced locally.

Certifiers: AH - American Humane; Kosher (OU) - Orthodox Union; QAI - Quality Assurance International; USDA - United States Department of Agriculture

For a more detailed description of the meaning behind the labels, visit Consumer's Union Eco-Labels website at www.eco-labels.org. The Global Resource Action Center for the Environment, www.gracelinks.org and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, www.iatp.org/labels/, provide additional resources for those wanting to get an insight into what the labels really mean.