Your "Free Range" Eggs Are BS

[JuniperWoolf]

A lot of people on litnet have recently mentioned that they'll only buy "free-range" eggs. That term is really misleading. I think many people imagine that the free range chickens wander around a field, "freely," in the sun ect. like this:



That's the power of suggestive wording, but the reality of the situation in North America is that "free range" basically just means "cage free," and beyond that there's very little regulation, so instead of stuffing the chickens in individual cages they stuff a whole ****-ton of chickens into a large room, like this:



I guess they are technically wandering around freely, but they're still all stuffed into a small area. So, buying "free range" eggs makes us feel like we're doing something good, but it's really not much better for the chickens. That's why free range eggs cost almost the same as regular eggs.

Here, read this:

http://www.cracked.com/article_19433...r4=recommended

The bit about free-range chickens is on page two (click "next"). The articles are worded to be entertaining and to communicate a lot of information quickly, you should click the hyperlinked words if you want to see where the information actually derives from.

Read this also:

http://www.cracked.com/article_19896...eding-you.html

Basically you've likely never had real honey (you've had honey-flavored corn syrup), salmon isn't pink anymore, kobe beef doesn't exist outside of Japan, and maybe 10% of the olive oil you eat isn't sunflower oil.

[OrphanPip]

This would depend on labelling laws though, which in North America are often misleading. There are some limits on crowding for the "organic" label in Canada.

Although, you can get those roaming the sun type eggs from certain farmer's markets if you look for them, just not at supermarkets.

I've had real honey and it's gross in comparison to the corn-syrup stuff. Also, wild salmon often isn't pink anyway, it has to do with their diet.

Edit: It doesn't really take much to convince me that the Agrobusiness community is evil and has far too much influence with government, they're as bad as the arms industry.

[JuniperWoolf]

I've had real honey and it's gross in comparison to the corn-syrup stuff.

I had it once from a honey farm in Saskatchewan, it kind of has the consistancy of mashed-up kid's glue sticks.

[Helga]

here on the ice free range means 'better living conditions than others but not perfect' in my opinion. they have more room than on the pic above but not as great as the outdoors chicken.

It's not perfect but it's better than the other stuff so I'd rather put my money into that.

We are often fooled by commercialism and words like 'free-range' or even 'natural'. Research is needed if you want to know what you eat. I don't mean that as a vegetarian saying you shouldn't eat meat, but you should know where it comes from.

I am reading a good book 'Eating Animals' about this stuff, very interesting. Only on page 50 but this issue has been mentioned.

[Alexander III]

I don't know what it is like in America, but in Europe we have a very regulated system. With accurate and strict labels which are controlled and checked and regulated.

3) this mean the chickens are raised in cages in dark factory like rooms. essentially the chicken is given the same amount of treatment as a bottle is in a bottle making factory. These are the cheapest.

2) Chickens are raised without cages but in large factory like rooms, essentially what your picture above is.

1) Chickens are raised half outdoors and half in buildings.

0) these are literary free-range eggs. They are raised wandering the fields as they would have been in the olden days. No this is not mere labeling propaganda as the European Food institute (which is a serious organization unlike in other countries) is very strict and accurate when it comes to labeling. Naturally the 0 eggs are the most expensive and at 2 pounds fifty for a pack of 6 eggs, is not a very accessible price. But then again costs are such because it is a lot cheaper to raise chickens like factory products than as chickens.

[JuniperWoolf]

We are often fooled by commercialism and words like 'free-range' or even 'natural'.

"Natural" is the worst. Anything could be considered "natural."

It'd be nice if we had a system like Alex describes. Do Europeans use transglutaminase and dye in their meat?

[MystyrMystyry]

The best eggs were ones my uncle used to raise in his backyard when I was a tacker. Big rich golden yolks like the sun in the morning, and incredible flavor - didn't need to add salt. All supermarket/deli/service station (pre-packaged) eggs the chickens are stressed, which is bad news for any organic life-form.

A while back a mate grew his own eggs which were pretty good, probably the same grade as my uncles' but tastebuds become less sensitive as we grow, and colour intensity fades.

Unfortunately for him (and me) he had an argument with his neighbor over tree branches hanging over his side of the fence, and the neighbor began throwing onion scraps into the hen house, resulting in eggs even more inedible than the pale tasteless supermarket variety.


Also natural honey needs to be melted.

[MarkBastable]

Our next-door neighbour has beehives, and she sometimes gives us jars of honey from them. And I am here to tell you that it's disgusting in a completely different way to the disgustingness of mass-produced honey. You know, naturally disgusting, as opposed to synthetically disgusting.

Actually, that's a bit glib. I think that the honey we get commercially here really is honey and not corn-syrup. But as the stuff makes me retch, I can't say I care much either way.

[PoeticPassions]

I can't believe anyone would think honey is gross. Luckily, I get a lot of real honey, from beehives and all that, as I still live in a country where most things are not mass produced...
I will say that milk straight from the cow, however, is a bit gross... or difficult to drink. It is way too creamy. And you have to boil it first... and then cool. Bah, too much work.

But the eggs I eat are generally from small farms and most vegetables and fruit I eat is from local farmers and growers... some of it is from our own garden at our weekend house.

[Lokasenna]

I'm in much the same position as Mark - I get quite a lot of honey from next door. My neighbour is a very nice chap, and he gives us quite a few jars a year on the basis that a fair bit of his crop will ultimately have come from our garden.

Unlike Mark, I love the stuff - and it's certainly better than that which you get in the supermarket (though that by no means tastes bad). As for chicken, I suppose I don't really know - as a student, I'm rather low on cash so often end up going for the cheapest I can get, though I'll admit a preference for free-range eggs.

I do wonder whether that article Juniper posted is perhaps indulging in a spot of fear-mongering though?

[YesNo]

I can't believe anyone would think honey is gross.

I find that hard to believe as well. One shouldn't expect honey to taste like processed cane sugar.

I wouldn't pay extra to buy anything because of a "natural" or "organic" label on it, but then I'm not the one doing most of the shopping. My wife thinks the brown colored eggs are better than the white colored ones. Is there any truth to that?

[tonywalt]

Brown is better. I have not taken the time to research, but on the island many people have their own chickens and they produce brown eggs (and are in their yard) which are typically double yolked. The hens I had were about 50% double yolked.

[TheFifthElement]

I find that hard to believe as well. One shouldn't expect honey to taste like processed cane sugar.

I wouldn't pay extra to buy anything because of a "natural" or "organic" label on it, but then I'm not the one doing most of the shopping. My wife thinks the brown colored eggs are better than the white colored ones. Is there any truth to that?

The colour of the egg is down to the breed of the bird. It makes no difference to flavour or quality which are more influenced by diet.

True fact (courtesy of QI)

[BookBeauty]

A lot of people on litnet have recently mentioned that they'll only buy "free-range" eggs. That term is really misleading. I think many people imagine that the free range chickens wander around a field, "freely," in the sun ect. like this:



That's the power of suggestive wording, but the reality of the situation in North America is that "free range" basically just means "cage free," and beyond that there's very little regulation, so instead of stuffing the chickens in individual cages they stuff a whole ****-ton of chickens into a large room, like this:



I guess they are technically wandering around freely, but they're still all stuffed into a small area. So, buying "free range" eggs makes us feel like we're doing something good, but it's really not much better for the chickens. That's why free range eggs cost almost the same as regular eggs.

Here, read this:

http://www.cracked.com/article_19433...r4=recommended

The bit about free-range chickens is on page two (click "next"). The articles are worded to be entertaining and to communicate a lot of information quickly, you should click the hyperlinked words if you want to see where the information actually derives from.

Read this also:

http://www.cracked.com/article_19896...eding-you.html

Basically you've likely never had real honey (you've had honey-flavored corn syrup), salmon isn't pink anymore, kobe beef doesn't exist outside of Japan, and maybe 10% of the olive oil you eat isn't sunflower oil.

YEAH! Spread the word, my friend. Spread the word.

[prendrelemick]

I was fencing on a large free-range chicken farm and all the chickens stayed inside the shed! The hatches were open, but it was freezing and they had more sense than to leave their warm shed. We there for a week and saw about three chickens brave the outdoors.