bathing, and spreading their wings. Free-Range and Free-
Roaming chickens generally also have access to outdoor
areas, but the labeling laws have no requirements as far as
the size or quality of the area goes, nor for how long the
chickens must be allowed out. Fact of the matter is, most
of these chickens never set foot outside the barn. These
labels are not audited—you’re going on the word of the
producer alone.
- Certified Organic eggs come from chickens kept in open
barns or warehouses with an unspecified degree of
outdoor access (again, for all intents and purposes,
probably none). They must be fed an organic, all-
vegetarian diet free of animal by-products, antibiotics, and
pesticides, and farms are checked for compliance by the
USDA.
- Certified Humane eggs have been verified by third-party
auditors, and this label requires stricter controls on
stocking densities, giving the chickens more space and the
ability to engage in natural behaviors like nesting and
perching. Producers are not allowed to engage in forced
molting, the practice of inducing hens into a laying cycle
by starving them (this practice is allowed for all other
types of eggs).
- Omega-3–Enriched eggs come from chickens that have
been fed supplements made from flaxseed or fish oil to
increase the levels of omega-3 fatty acid—an essential
fatty acid touted with several health benefits—in their
yolks. While some people claim eggs high in omega-3s
have a “fishy” aroma, in blind tastings, I’ve found no
significant differences in the way these eggs taste.
