What’s the big deal about organic, free-range eggs? Are they enhanced taste-wise? Are they more healthy? They certainly cost a heck of a lot more. Is it worth it to pay twice as much just so chickens have more satisfactory lives?
There are several qualifiers you'll see on the packages of these eggs: organic, hormone-free, and free-range are three common phrases you'll encounter. What do these terms mean?
If the chickens are fed organic feed, this means they are not fed feed that may contain pesticides and therefore pass down unwanted chemical residue through their eggs. If you buy eggs from chickens who have been fed organic feed, you’re paying to avoid the risk of pesticides. If you buy eggs that say they are hormone-free, you're buying eggs produced by chickens who were not injected with hormones that make them produce extra eggs and resist disease. There is growing concern about the impact of these hormones on people, so you are paying more so you don't have to worry about the possible impact of those hormones on your body.
If the chickens are raised free-range, this means they are not kept in one of those mega chicken houses where the chickens are kept in cages the size of a large toaster and never move, only just eat and crap and lay eggs in uncomfortable, unsanitary conditions. The chickens who are raised in the commercial henhouses are restricted to a tiny cage where they get no exercise and are in close contact with other chickens, so disease spreads easily there. The bottom line is you are paying for the chickens to live good lives if you pay for free-range eggs, but you're also paying for eggs produced by healthier chickens.
The ultimate question: Do organic, free-range, hormone-free eggs taste better? The taste difference is imperceptible to most. It's up to you to weigh the following factors: Is it worth it to pay extra for eggs that are not contaminated by chemicals, that are hormone-free, and were produced by healthy, happy chickens?
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