What makes organic eggs

While Glisson acknowledges that consumers might want eggs from a chicken that is raised with outdoor access, he says there's not a scientific basis for it. It's perception based. There's a market for saying that birds were outdoors, there's a profitable market for that. It doesn't help the birds. Jesse Laflamme insists the complaint by Dr. Glisson and other egg producers — that outdoor access for egg-laying hens will lead to outbreaks of diseases like avian flu — is not supported by recent events.

In and an avian flu outbreak affected more than 50 million chickens, turkeys, and ducks, but the USDA acknowledged that fewer than 9, of those birds were kept outdoors. The question is what percentage of those birds were outside? Basically none. And so the question is where in reality is the risk? The debate over the proposed USDA rule requiring outdoor access for organic, egg-laying chickens appeared to be settled in January , when the rule was finalized, and then there was a political change.

Under the new administration, the USDA withdrew the rule determining that it didn't have the authority under existing law to mandate animal welfare conditions. He says if the rule had been implemented, it would have raised the price of organic eggs and changed the rules in a program that he says is working well. Consumers have really given the organic program an extreme vote of confidence over the years.

We've seen a growth in organic purchases and organic sales grow consistently across all areas of the organic industry. If we keep moving the goalposts, neither consumers nor farmers will understand what USDA regulates to. But organic producers like Jesse Laflamme are not giving up yet on updating the rules as to what makes an egg organic. We didn't anticipate that they would really kind of stoop this low and pull the rule altogether. And in response OTA would have to sue.

For me, it's not all about the USDA certification. We go way beyond that. The more consumers that demand food to be raised with higher animal welfare, more sustainable farm practices, the more of us will respond to that and do it. It's decided that it's going to change the way it raises eggs even though the USDA rule has been withdrawn. It's expanding its operations and building new facilities without porches, that allow hens outdoors, on soil.

I do believe that the standards need to be more consistent. That's what I believe. So we're going to transition our way right into that.

So at the end of the day, we will comply with the rule whether it gets written into the register or not. Though he acknowledges that there's a risk in letting his birds outside. He says it's what people want. They have so many choices at the shelf, so our mind needs to be changed based on what our consumers are looking for. Connie Kargbo has been working in the media field since producing content for television, radio, and the web.

As a field producer at PBS NewsHour Weekend, she is involved in all aspects of the news production process from pitching story ideas to organizing field shoots to scripting feature pieces. Support Provided By: Learn more. Friday, Nov The Latest. World Agents for Change. Health Long-Term Care. Next time you shop, looking for the organic logo is one easy way to can make sure you're opting for higher welfare products - helping to make a big difference for farm animals.

Organic Eggs. Organic vs. Free-range - what's the difference? Free-range, caged, barn eggs or organic? So what makes organic eggs different to free-range? Soil Association's organic standards cover: The size of the flock number of hens The amount of space, and type of environment animals have The way they are treated What they are fed Use of antibiotics.

In this section Find out more. What Is Organic? Better for Animals. Sign up for regular emails. Opt in to receive news, offers, practical tips and other ways you can get involved such as fundraising and campaigning. You can unsubscribe at any time Please make sure the above tickbox is checked. There are so many terms.

Try to look them up on the U. While egg labels can be helpful and effective, some tell you what the hens were fed and others tell you a bit about their environment. Still, others tell you how humanely they were raised. But, you need to know what to look for. Organic : This means that hens received organic feed and were not raised in cages.

Also, an organic label says nothing about humane treatment. Omega-3 enriched: Egg yolks contain a small amount of omega-3, a heart-healthy fat. However, providing hens a diet high in omega-3, such as flaxseed or fish oil, can boost the omega-3 content in their eggs. However, according to the FDA, claims that omega-3 enriched eggs lower the risk of heart disease are unfounded, because eggs also contain cholesterol and saturated fat.

Free-range or free-roaming : This means that the hens producing the eggs were raised outdoors or given outdoor access. In addition to eating grains, these hens may forage for wild plants and insects.