Organic Eggs

Eggs in general are a healthy source of protein that are available virtually everywhere in the United States.  However, there are seemingly many different available options in purchasing eggs.  There are labels lie Organic, cage-free, free-range, and more.  Organic eggs are something that confuse many people because of the way that they are labeled and marketed in grocery stores.

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Cage-free and free-range eggs allegedly refer to the way that the chickens themselves are raised.  Cage-free means that the chickens are not raised in small cages surrounding them, but rather have the ability to move around with lots of space.  However, the reality of this is that many chickens that are raised "cage-free" are actually still confined to small structures and maybe get to see just one hour of sunlight per day.  The same is true for free-range eggs, which are supposed to come from chickens that have full mobility and are not confined at all.  

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Organic eggs refer to the diet of the chicken itself.  Chickens that produce organic eggs are fed organic feed, and are not given any feed with GMOs or other hormones.  The chickens are also supposed to be raised in cage-free environments with access to sunlight.  The chickens are also not allowed to be fed any antibiotics.  All organic chicken farmers are subject to strict regulation and screenings by the US Department of Agriculture.

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In my opinion, the only way to be sure that you are eating an actually "organic" or "cage-free" egg, is to purchase eggs sourced from local, recognizable farms if possible.  I know the family that owns the farm that my family buy eggs from, so I always know that what I am eating will be the highest quality from a trustworthy source.