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Eggs are a staple item in the refrigerator of many homes. Who would ever have thought that buying eggs should require more thought than where to get the best bargain? I’m sure you have wondered what the difference is between all the confusing labels on egg cartons and if they really make the eggs worth paying a king’s ransom compared to plain old Grade A Large eggs. What is free range, cage free, organic or vegetarian fed? Organic is always good, right? People who eat a vegetarian diet seem to be healthy enough, so shouldn’t chickens benefit from being vegetarian too? None of us want the chickens to suffer, so cage free should be good enough, shouldn’t it?

Before I give you the low down on getting the best price for eggs at major food retailers in Columbus, Ohio, I thought I’d spend some time clearing up the confusion.

First let’s focus on how the chickens are raised. Typical labels on egg cartons found in the grocery store will say either cage free of free range. Free range means the chickens have access to the outdoors and are not raised in battery cages. There is no standard for what kind of outdoor access this is though. Cage free means just that. The chickens were not raised in battery cages, but did not necessarily have any outdoor access.

Another term not likely to be seen in the grocery store, but one you may have heard is “pasture raised”. Pasture raised means the chickens and the eggs are produced the way nature intended. The animals are allowed free access to the outdoors where they can scratch and peck in the grass for insects and anything else they want to eat. Some will argue that use of the term pasture raised is not regulated, therefore how can one be sure of the hen’s lifestyle? I’ll address that a bit more later.

In addition to living conditions, how hens are fed and whether or not the eggs are organic appears on egg cartons too. If the eggs are labeled as UDSA Organic the chickens must be cage free, given no antibiotics and fed with feed from crops grown without chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Vegetarian fed hens are never given feed that contains animal byproducts. I don’t condone the use of animal byproducts in feed for chickens or any other living creature, but feel it should be noted that chickens are not vegetarian by nature. Like any other bird they enjoy eating insects as well as seeds and grain.

A couple other terms you might encounter on an egg carton are Omega-3 and pasteurized. Omega-3 eggs claim to have a higher percentage of Omega-3 fatty acids as compared to eggs produced without the Omega-3 enhancing diet fed to some hens. Pasteurized eggs have been heated to just below the coagulation point for a period of time to destroy illness causing bacteria. These are recommended for any recipe that calls for eggs to remain uncooked such as Caesar salad dressing or mayonnaise.

By now, I’m sure everything is clear as mud for you! My recommendations for what kind of eggs to buy is in the following order: pasture raised, organic, cage free.

The caveat with pasture raised is that they can be hard to find and they are often quite expensive when you do find them in the grocery store. Whole Foods market in Columbus carries pastured eggs produced by farms in Central Ohio, but they do come at a price. I recommend finding a good source where you can buy directly from the farmer. Several years ago, I bought pastured eggs from a friend for $1.00 per dozen. Back then, I had no idea how good I had it! If you stick with it and do your homework, you should be able to find pasture raised eggs at prices comparable to or less than buying organic eggs at the grocery store. www.localharvest.org is a great way to start your search for pasture raised eggs. The added bonus of buying eggs directly from the farmer is that you can verify how the chickens are treated and see for yourself if they do indeed have unlimited access to the outdoors.

If you can’t find pasture raised eggs in your community or simply aren’t compelled to make the effort the easiest to find best price for organic eggs in Columbus, Ohio is at Giant Eagle where you can get large, organic eggs for $3.09 per dozen. If you are a regular customer at North Market, downtown Columbus, North Market Poultry and Game has eggs for $3.00 per dozen.

One last note: I don’t feel compelled to eat eggs for their supposed Omega-3 value. There are many better ways to increase Omega-3 consumption, but that is a discussion for another day.