The safety of eggs has been front and center in the news, and with good reason. Fears of salmonella poisoning are running rampant, and with the changes in the national food supply, a salmonella outbreak at an egg farm in Southern California could manifest itself on the other side of the country. So, when it comes to the safety of eggs, what are we to do? Being health conscious consumers, we strive to make eggs part of a healthy diet. So, from the standpoint of safety, is there an advantage to going with organic or free range eggs, or would we just be instilling a false sense of security?
Organic vs Free Range Eggs
When we’re talking about eggs and safety, most of the time its in reference to the risk of salmonella poisoning. It’s important to note that once an egg has formed its shell, it has a natural resistance to salmonella (and other bacteria) by virtue of three proteins in the egg whites that combat foreign invaders. This means that if the shell is broken, it can fight back. So when does contamination become a concern?
When eggs become contaminated with salmonella, the source of the contamination is usually the hen itself. There are two means by which that contamination can occur. The first is by depositing salmonella on the eggshell during egg laying, which can happen as the egg travels through the cloaca. The second is when salmonella is encapsulated within the egg before the shell has formed. This happens if the hen is provided with feed that has become contaminated with salmonella, either by improper sanitation from workers, or more likely, the presence of rodents in the feed.
While the subject of organic farming means many things to different people, the FDA and USDA have adopted definitions to provide uniform labeling standards.
Use of the label “free range” or “cage free” implies that hens are allowed to roam freely during the day. In reality, the USDA definition dictates that “producers must demonstrate that hens has been allowed access to the outside.” This, of course, says nothing about the use of feed or antibiotics.
When looking at produce, deciding what to buy organic is about pesticides. For eggs, the use of the “organic” label is reserved for the question of feed and antibiotics. Organic eggs must come from hens that have not been fed low dose levels of antibiotics, and places restrictions on feed, disallowing the use of animal by-products and genetically modified sources. Antibiotics can be used to treat sick animals. The organic label also precludes a “forced molt,” which is the standard method for getting hens to produce extra large eggs.
While there are reasons to buy organic and free range eggs, most of them have to do with treatment of the animals. Although there is some evidence that organic and free range eggs may offer slightly greater nutritional benefits, by virtue of a better balance of omega fatty acids and folic acid, evidence is sketchy at best.
When you get right down to it, buying free range or organic eggs offers little, if any, protection against salmonella outbreaks. The best method for preventing eating salmonella contaminated eggs lies in proper handing and cooking, which include keeping the eggs cold to slow bacteria growth and proper hand-washing to avoid contaminating the egg with anything on its surface. Perhaps most important, fully cooking your eggs.
Outstanding article, Greg. IMO, I’ll still opt for the free range, organic eggs vs. the “other”. In the last city that we lived in, we found a farm that sold eggs direct. We could actually go see the chickens wandering the barnyard. Of course, not everybody has that option.
Thanks Todd! We occasionally pick up eggs at the farmer’s market, which works out pretty well. But supply can be tough to come by at times!