Egg Wars: sorting & understanding one of the biggest mysteries in the grocery store
What do egg labels mean? What's an industrial pasture raised egg? Which eggs are the bestt of the best and which are tricky?
Egg labels are one of the most mysterious things in life: they are super vague, leaving a lot of space for interpretation, can be misleading and many literally have zero meaning nor requirements.
Full disclosure: I only came o fully understand what the labels actually mean last year! Before we go into what eggs I recommend, lets clear up facts from fiction: what do egg labels mean
Cage-Free:
This term is regulated by the USDA, and means, “Hens can move freely within the building/hen house and have unlimited access to food and fresh water during their production cycle.”
Does not mean they are outside in fresh air and sunshine : they can be indoors all day every day
NO space requirements: chickens can live in extremely crowded conditions
Feed quality not addressed: birds can be eating any food : GMOs, not organic, seed oils etc
NO requirements for specific nutrient levels in eggs
Free-Range:
Birds are allotted a min of 2 square feet of outdoor space.
NO requirements for how long a chicken should be outside, if at all
Chicken are kept in large barns with space to fly and stretch. Whether hens go outside or not is up to the farmer (there is usually an open door)
they can and often are, raised in crowded conditions and the outdoor area can be tiny and crowded.
NO requirements for specific nutrient levels in eggs
Natural
Means absolutely nothing at all. All eggs are natural.
Hormone Free
Means nothing at all. By law, chickens that produce eggs and those that are sold for meat can’t be given hormones, so eggs with this claim on the package label are no different from eggs sold without it.
Pasture-Raised:
Hens must spend time outside,
Food: A large portion of chickens food supply is from the pasture (worms, bugs etc) but supplemental feed is always required and this label has NO requirements for the supplemental feed given to the chicken.
NO requirements for the definition of “ outdoors. “Time outdoors” could be time in a crowded porch
NO requirements for specific nutrient levels of eggs
Organic:
What it means:
Addresses feed quality via chemical restrictions. Birds are fed grains grown without synthetic pesticides, GMOs, no chemical additives nor fertilizers
Must be free-range and cage free: the birds cannot be raised in cages; they must have access to outdoors and cannot be given antibiotics
NO requirements for time spent outdoors not he pasture feeding (even if labelled “organic pasture raised”
NO requirements for the definition “outdoors” . This could be time in a crowded porch
NO requirements for specific nutrient levels
Why is Vital Farms in the social media news now?
Vital Farms is a large provider of eggs sold in many higher end supermarkets. They have labels including “ regeneratively farmed”, “pasture raised” and “organic”
A while back - I believe it was last year (this is not new news but we can review now again! ) it came out that Vital Farms confirmed that their pasture raised eggs receive a supplemental diet made up of mostly corn and soy… additionally, it turns out that their chickens do not spend that much time outdoors grazing on the pasture (if at all). Both these realities are totally allowed based on current requirements
Unfortunately, they are not the only ones finding they need to do this in order to meet their chicken’s nutritional and protein needs.. turns out that just about every supermarket egg labeled as “organic” or “pasture raised” is very likely doing the same.
Why is this an issue?
On one hand I think a lot of people had ideas that pasture raised organic eggs came from chickens that were living a happy life grazing on grass all day on wide open fields. The idea likely comes from the images many of these companies have on their websites….and it is bothering to realize that the reality is not that nice. Crowded chickens, barely time outdoors and questionable (or mysterious) supplemental feed. One Farmer from a smaller Farm told me these are referred to as : INDUSTRIAL PASTURE RAISED EGGS” in the industry ( I think its a great term and am going to use it!)
The reality is that the nutritional profile of the egg is influenced by what chickens eat and the type of life they live. All pasture raised eggs, I have come across are given a supplemental feed in addition to what they get on the pasture (some birds will get much more from the pasture because they live on regenerative farmed land and are outdoors 12/7, while others are barely outdoors and thus will depend much more on this feed.) Most companies are supplementing with corn and soy. The problem with this is that: Corn and soy likely will contain traces of glyphosate in addition to the fact that they usually result in eggs with much higher linoeic acid.
Let’s go back to the Vital Farms controversy. Vital Farm Eggs were sent by Michigan State University and Nourished Food Club (who sell Angel Acres Eggs) to be tested and the testing showed that 2 Vital Farms eggs had 26% total PUFAS and 2.3g of linoeic acid (for perspective, canola oil has about 3g n a tablespoon). For comparison, the Angel Acre eggs that were tested had 8% total PUFAS and 0.6g of linoeic acid.
What is linoeic acid? It’s a type of omega 6 fatty acid. Too much of this in our diet will lead to inflammation and health issues.
What is the main difference between the Vital Farms and Angel Acre eggs? One is an industrial pasture raised egg and the other is not. In other words: in addition to being truly pasture raised (by this I mean the Angel Acre eggs actually live outdoors in the pasture) their diet is corn and soy free.
Another (previous and larger) study from 2022 also found that eggs from hens fed corn and soy free diet had distinct nutrient advantages over those fed standard corn and soy feed including:
Lower (half as much) omega 6 fatty acids (PUFA/ inflammatory)
About 3x more beneficial fatty acids
Conclusion: what chicken eat will influence the nutritional value of the eggs they lay.
OK: SO WHAT IS THE BEST EGG TO BUY?
In a perfect ideal world (putting aside availability and budgets), the likely “best” egg will come from a chicken that is:
- Pasture raised (confirmed for real spending the majority of their day outdoors in grassy pastures)
Organic
AND eating a corn and soy free supplement feed (please note: some farms feed them premade feeds that can be labelled as corn and soy free but could still contain high PUFA ingredients like canola meal and sunflower oil- I still think its better but maybe not the absolute best)
Is it a good idea to lower your PUFA intake? Yes, especially if you
are eating a diet high in PUFAS already,
have inflammation issues, have insulin issues, autoimmune issues.
Eat a lot of eggs on a daily basis
But, do you need to vow to never eat Vital Farms ( or any other “ industrial pasture raised egg” that feed chickens some corn or soy)? Well, that depends on you. The reality is: there are grades of green here.
YEs, as I mentioned above, the ideal I think is an organic pasture raised corn and soy free egg.
BUT
Finding a corn free, soy free pasture raised organic egg is not easy in many parts of the country and they can cost quite a bit more (although definitely consider you local Farmers Market)
Eating 2-4 eggs is not the same thing as eating a Tbsp of canola oil, nutritionally speaking. Eggs are nutrient dense sources of protein, vitamins and antioxidants. So even with the higher linoleic acid profile they are beneficial (also, just as an added point of information, Seed Oil Scout tested many different pasture raised eggs (some that feed corn and soy others that don’t) and there are many different amounts of omega 6 levels in different eggs even from the same company (because they come from different farms I would guess)
So I don’t think you need to stop eating all eggs if you cannot source (or afford) organic pasture raised corn and soy free eggs… “industrial” organic pasture raised eggs do still have nutritional benefits and are still better than conventional (normal or with other labels) eggs.
LETS LOOK AT THE EGG COMPANIES NOW: WHICH FEED THEIR CHICKENS CORN AND SOY AND WHICH DO NOT?
EGGS that are truly pasture raised, organic and are NOT fed soy and corn
(please remember the ingredients in their feed could change so this is accurate for right now 1/2026)
Also: since these companies might have different types of eggs, always look for the one that is specifically labeled as corn and soy free
Additionally to this list ( this is in no way a comprehensive list) Look around your local Farmers Market: you might find a truly pasture raised organic corn and soy free egg farmer at a price you feel comfortable with there!
Happy Hens Truly Outdoors Organic Extra Large eggs:
- Specify they are they are corn and soy free and supplement with non-GMO and organic glyphosate free grains and alfalfa. ( I requested more details.).
- Available at their farm store in Ramona, CA and at a variety of grocery stores in San Diego county, Orange County and Los Angeles county, California.
I buy these often because they are available at my local Erewhon store
Angel acres eggs
Supplement with an organic feed that is corn and soy free that they make themselves and includes: their own regeneratively grown organic peas & triticale, Whey protein, grass-fed beef tallow, A mineral blend to support egg production and overall health, Plus occasional meat scraps and produce scraps)
Available online and ship nationally
Tussock Sedge Farm
Supplement with an certified organic mix of field peas, alfalfa, oats, probiotics, vitamins, minerals, and Redmond Sea Salt.
Only available for pick up in Perkasie PA
Primal Pastures:
Supplement feed is a custom made blend of organic field peas, organic wheat, organic barley, organic oats, organic alfalfa meal, fish meal, organic olive oil, organic dehydrated kelp meal, salt, minerals, vitamins and probiotics. birds are on pasture 100% of the time so their main source of nutrition is bugs, worms, grasses, and rooted vegetative cover.
Eggs are only local pickup in Murrieta CA (their regenerative farmed meats are available for shipping)
Breeden Family Farm:
Supplement with a premade organic feed: ingredients: Organic Field Peas, Organic Barley, Organic Wheat, Organic Oats, Calcium Carbonate, Fish Meal, Organic Alfalfa Meal, Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate, Organic Olive Oil, Monocalcium Phosphate, Organic Dehydrated Kelp Meal, Salt, DL Methionine, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite, Riboflavin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenic Acid, Niacin Supplement, Choline Chloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Manganese Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Dried Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Extract, Active Dry Yeast, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation product, Dried Bacillus licheniformis Fermentation product, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product
Order online and local pickup only: Oklahoma
Prairie Creek Farms
Mill their own feed every week. Ingredients in supplemental feed:Milo, Peanut meal, Oyster shell powder (Calcium), Alfalfa, Fertrell Poultry Nutribalancer
Oklahoma
Fur and Feathers Farmstand
Supplement feed ingredients: Organic Wheat, Organic Barley,Organic Peas, Organic Flaxseed Meal, Limestone, Organic Rice Protein, Fish Meal, Poultry Vitamin and Mineral Premix, Organic Sunflower Oil (yes this is an ingredient that will be higher in PUFA, but not as much is used)
Thousand Oaks, CA
Utopian Hen Farms:
Feed is made up of peas, alfalfa, vitamins, and other seasonally available, protein-rich ingredients ( no more details available due to a NDA but confirmed corn and soy free)
Available in various stores in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia
Other eggs that are corn and soy free, but I have not yet received info on the ingredients in their supplemental feed (the I do I will update Substack) :
