More egg terms, cracked

By Monica Eng
Chicago Tribune, via Charlotte Observer, September 30th, 2009

Few food purchases can scramble the brain like buying eggs these days. With choices that include organic, free-range, brown, white, natural, fertile, vegetarian-fed, omega-3, pasteurized and cage-free, a consumer could be forgiven for cracking in confusion.

These labels have implications for the way the hen was treated, fed, housed and even colored as well as how her eggs were processed after they popped out. But sometimes the labels don't mean much at all.

Here's a guide to the wild world of egg labels.

Natural: The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service defines "natural" as not containing "any artificial or synthetic ingredients, and it must be minimally processed." By this definition, almost all eggs would be considered natural.

Free range: Indicates that hens have access to the outdoors, but there are no regulations on the duration or quality of access.

Pasteurized: Eggs that have been treated with heat to eliminate salmonella.

Pasture raised: Unregulated term that implies hens are raised outdoors and moved regularly in mobile hen houses. This gives them access to a variety of foods - such as bugs, and grubs - as well as chicken feed.

Fertile: Hens are raised in barns that also house roosters. The term is unregulated but implies hens are uncaged.

Animal Welfare Approved: Hens must be kept cage-free and allowed to perform natural behaviors such as nesting, perching and dust bathing. Outdoor access is required at all times, and forced molting and beak cutting are prohibited. Certifies mostly family farms.

Certified Humane Raised and Handled: Hens are uncaged inside barns or warehouses and may have access to the outdoors. Includes space requirements for hens. Forced molting is prohibited, but beak cutting is permitted.

USDA organic: Hens are kept uncaged in barns or warehouses, are allowed access to the outdoors and are fed an organic, vegetarian diet free of antibiotics and pesticides. Forced molting and beak cutting are permitted.

Sources: USDA, Humane Society of the United States, Food Alliance.

FARMERS’ MARKET VS. SUPERMARKET: HEAD TO HEAD

By Doug Kearney

If I need a vegetable, I go to the back yard to see what’s in the garden. If that’s a disappointment (for example, if a rabbit beat me to that ripe fist-sized tomato I was eyeing for lunch), my next option is the farmers’ market on South Main in Salisbury. There I find beautiful, fresh, and uneaten vegetables (as well as breads, meats, eggs, plants and crafts) to suit my needs. Only if I can’t find what I need at the farmers’ market do I go to the supermarket for produce.

Why is the local supermarket my third choice for produce?

• Supermarket produce is not as fresh as farmers’ market fare.

• Some items are coated or treated to give the appearance of freshness.

• Supermarket produce typically loses nutritional value as it is transported from California or Peru. (One local supermarket puts a “locally grown” sign on produce that takes less than six hours to arrive by truck. While that’s a step in the right direction, I expect the Salisbury Farmers’ Market averages about twenty minutes.)

• Produce in supermarket bins tends to come from large producers who use heavy pesticides and petroleum-based fertilizers to provide “perfect” specimens for the consumer. (Supermarkets do typically carry certified organic produce which are not grown with certain pesticides and petroleum-based fertilizers. They are quite expensive and typically shipped across the country.)

• Produce in supermarkets tends to be varieties that ship well, but don’t necessarily taste good. You might imagine that attributes that help a tomato endure shipping abuse and a long shelf life may not be the same attributes that make for tender, tasty flesh.

Why do I prefer the farmers’ market?

• Produce is fresh, sometimes picked only a few hours before I buy it. And for sweet corn every hour makes a difference.

• In general, the produce has fewer pesticides. While none of our local growers is certified organic, several are sensitive to over-reliance on pesticides and petroleum-based fertilizers and try to minimize their use. And best of all, if pesticide use is a concern for you, the grower is typically right there to respond to your questions about growing methods.

• Talk about customer service. Local farmers literally stand behind their produce, eager to talk with you about varieties, preparation, and preservation. It’s like going to Best Buy and having Steve Jobs there to help you buy an I-pod. Well, it’s sort of like that.

• It’s local. That impacts quality, taste, nutritional value, even carbon “footprint”. It’s a little easier on the earth if we buy lettuce that was trucked from China Grove rather than California. (It would also help if we walked or biked to the farmers’ market rather than adding another car trip to our food shopping, but that’s not possible for all of us and it’s another story anyway.) But, and this is a little less tangible, “local” also means transacting with a neighbor, developing a relationship with someone you might see at a movie, church, or even the supermarket. In a culture where we are increasingly isolated from each other, buying food in a way that encourages us to talk with each other and get to know each other’s values and passions surely builds healthy communities and individuals.

What about price?

I went to the Salisbury Farmers’ Market last week and priced produce. That same day, I visited a local supermarket and priced equivalent items there (none of them certified organic). Here’s what I found:

	Farmer’s Market	Supermarket
Cantaloupe	$2.00 ea.	$3.00 ea.
Sweet corn	$0.50 ea.	$0.50 ea.
Tomatoes	$2.00/lb.	$2.50/lb.
Eggplant	$1.50/lb.	$2.00/lb.
Yellow squash	$1.50/lb.	$2.00/lb.
Bell peppers	$1.50/lb.	$1.30/lb.
Green beans	$2.00/lb.	$2.00/lb.
Free-range eggs	$3.00/doz.	$3.19/doz.

The supermarket offers convenience and variety. But on comparable items the farmers’ market competes well in price, and, in my opinion, quality.

The farmers’ market doesn’t replace the supermarket. I may start out at the Salisbury Farmers’ Market, but I will buy from the supermarket everything from the lemons I can’t do without to the Cheezits I should do without, not to mention various staple items like flours, nuts, cereals, the occasional cucumber in February and, God help me, diet Coke.

The Salisbury Farmers’ Market is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon through October. It is at the corner of South Main and East Bank.